Mumbai, Sep 15: The Indian benchmark indices opened on the flat note with a positive bias on Monday, on the back of positive domestic inflation data and growing expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut.

As of 9.30 am, the Sensex was up 4.5 points or 0.005 per cent at 81,909, and the Nifty was up 4.15 points or 0.017 per cent at 25,118.

The broadcap indices outperformed benchmark indices, as Nifty Midcap 100 inched up by 0.26 per cent, and the Nifty Small cap 100 moved up 0.53 per cent.

Bajaj Finance, Tata Motors, Hero Motocorp and Bajaj Finserv were the top gainers on NSE Nifty 50 index. Infosys Ltd., Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., and Shriram Finance Ltd. weighed on the Nifty 50 index.

Among sectoral indices, Nifty Realty, the top gainer, jumped 1.19 per cent. Nifty PSU bank (up 0.39 per cent) and Nifty Auto (up 0.38 per cent) were the other major gainers. Nifty Pharma was the top loser down 0.78 per cent.

Inflation had cooled to 2.07 per cent well below the RBI’s projection of 3.1 per cent in August, latest government data said.

Analysts said that Indian equities, which have recently underperformed compared to global peers, now appear attractively valued. Positive factors such as ongoing GST reforms, anticipation of a Fed rate cut, and improving US–India trade ties are expected to further support the market.

Last week, Nifty 50 notched its eighth consecutive advance, closing above the symbolic 25,100 mark for the first time since July—its longest winning streak in a year and the biggest weekly gain in nearly three months.

“Nifty has been gradually taking out the crucial resistances and on the weekly chart, the Nifty has confirmed a pattern of higher tops and higher bottoms, which is an encouraging sign for a sustained positional bullish trend,” said Devarsh Vakil, Head of Prime Research at HDFC Securities.

Nifty seems to be heading towards the next resistance of 25,250, while the 24,900 level could offer support, he added.

Major US indices posted strong weekly gains and closed near all time highs. The Nasdaq rose 2.0 per cent, the S&P 500 gained 1.6 per cent, and the Dow advanced 1.0 per cent, marking the best week since early August.

Most of the Asian markets made strong gains during the morning session. While China’s Shanghai index advanced 0.22 per cent, and Shenzhen added 1.07 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.89 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index jumped 0.32 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi inched up 0.52 per cent.

The US markets are pricing in a 96.4 per cent probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut on September 17, with additional cuts expected through year-end. Softer labour data and persistent inflation support the dovish shift, boosting demand for equities and cryptocurrencies, said analysts.

Mumbai: In a shocking accident early Saturday morning, a speeding car lost control on LBS Road in Ghatkopar, crashing into a divider before ramming into roadside shops and leaving three pavement dwellers critically injured. The incident reportedly occurred around 7 am near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Water Supply Department office, a usually busy stretch that was relatively quiet at the time.

CCTV footage of the accident has surfaced on the internet showing exact moments of the crash when the speeding car crashed into the divider and then rammed into the shops injuring pavement dwellers. Other visuals showed the aftermath of the crash showing the crashed vehicle surrounded by locals.

According to reports quoting eyewitnesses, the car was being driven at high speed when it suddenly swerved across the road and slammed into the steps of a shop. Unfortunately, three people who had been sleeping on the footpath at that very spot bore the full impact of the collision.

All three sustained grievous injuries and were immediately rushed to Rajawadi Hospital by locals and police personnel. Doctors have confirmed that the victims are undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and remain in a critical condition.

Several onlookers reported that the vehicle was occupied by two young women and one young man, all of whom appeared to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. Their reckless driving, locals alleged, was the direct cause of the accident.

Police officials from Ghatkopar station reached the spot shortly after receiving calls from locals. The occupants of the car were taken into custody, and the vehicle was seized for inspection. A case has been registered, and further investigations are underway to determine whether the driver was indeed intoxicated.

New Delhi, Sep 13: India and Pakistan are set to renew their rivalry when they clash in a Group A fixture of the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday. Both teams come into the high-voltage encounter after comfortable wins over the UAE and Oman, but their journeys since the last World Cup have followed different trajectories.

Pakistan have endured a turbulent period, struggling to find consistency and forge a clear identity as a team. Their batting has often looked brittle, while their bowling, once their strongest suit, has lacked the same sharpness. In contrast, India have grown into a formidable force, boasting a lethal combination of in-form batters and a bowling attack widely regarded as the best in the world.

Given their balance and depth, India will once again enter the contest as favourites. Yet, with the weight of history and rivalry, Pakistan remain capable of springing a surprise.

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, many fans and former cricketers have voiced strong anger towards Pakistan, with some even questioning whether the match should go ahead.

However, the Indian government gave clearance for the much-anticipated game, allowing the country to play against Pakistan in “international and multilateral events”, but can’t engage in “bilateral sports events in each other’s country”.

Despite getting the official nod, there is not much hype for the weekend’s clash as tickets were available online on Saturday, a day before the match, which is not the case for matches between the nemesis.

Live Streaming details:

The match will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on the SonyLIV app and website in India.

Squads:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Pakistan: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Wasim Jr.