Mumbai, Nov 10: Indian benchmark indices opened the week in the green zone on Monday, amid positive global cues and investor optimism of FII coming back to India due to loss in artificial intelligence (AI) stocks.

As of 9.25 am, Sensex was up 115 points, or 0.14 per cent at 83,331 and Nifty inched up 35 points, or 0.14 per cent to 25,521.

The broadcap indices outperformed benchmarks in terms of gains, with the Nifty Midcap 100 up or 0.37 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 adding 0.27 per cent.

Asian Paints, L&T and Hindalco were among the major gainers in the Nifty Pack, while losers included Trent, Apollo Hospitals, Max Healthcare, Maruti Suzuki and Dr Reddy’s Labs.

Nifty IT, Metal and Pharma were among the biggest sectoral gainers, adding 0.56 to 0.79 per cent. All the sectoral indices were trading in the green except Nifty Media.

Analysts said that FIIs, particularly the hedge funds, who have been consistently selling in India and taking money out for playing the AI trade, are now likely to pause and slowly reverse the AI trade in favour of non-AI trade in countries like India.

“The strong earnings growth in the US has been a fundamental support that pushed up AI stock valuations to elevated valuations. Countries regarded as AI winners such China, South Korea and Taiwan also have benefited from this AI rally,” said market watchers.

Analysts noted that there are signs of this AI trade losing steam as evidenced by the 3 per cent decline in Nasdaq last week. If this healthy trend persists without high volatility, it will make the US market robust, preempting a bubble formation and its eventual burst, they added.

Further, Wall Street stocks gained as reports suggested the longest shutdown of the US Federal Government might end.

The US markets ended in the green zone in the last trading session, as Nasdaq dipped 0.22 per cent, the S&P 500 added 0.13 per cent, and the Dow inched up 0.16 per cent.

Most of the Asian markets were trading in the green during the morning session. While China’s Shanghai index lost 0.03 per cent, and Shenzhen dipped 0.59 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei added 1.04 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.57 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 3.04 per cent.

On Friday, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 4,889 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 1,787 crore.

Mumbai: The city woke up on Monday morning to clear skies dimmed by a thick blanket of smog, reducing visibility and blurring its iconic skyline. From Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to South Mumbai, several areas were engulfed in haze as air quality dipped sharply after a brief phase of improvement.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while Mumbai will continue to witness clear skies through the day, the early morning hours saw visibility reduction due to the smog cover. Daytime temperatures are expected to hover around 34°C, with the minimum likely to settle near 18°C.

Just a few days ago, the city had breathed cleaner air following an intense but short spell of rain that had washed away suspended pollutants. The rainfall brought a temporary respite from humidity and particulate matter, but the improvement was short-lived. Within days, Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) spiked again, signaling a return to unhealthy levels.

Fresh data from AQI.in, released on Monday morning, pegged the city’s overall AQI at 201, placing it in the unhealthy category. The sharp rise marks a major decline from the good to moderate readings seen earlier this month. Residents across the city reported hazy horizons, smudged skylines and a persistent burning smell in the air, particularly during early hours.

Among the city’s key monitoring stations, Wadala Truck Terminal recorded the highest AQI at 327, categorised as severe. It was followed by Colaba (283) and BKC (270), both in the unhealthy range. Other regions like Deonar (267) and Kurla (247) also registered dangerously high pollution levels, indicating dense concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

In contrast, relatively cleaner air was observed in certain western suburbs. Kandivali East reported an AQI of 77 (moderate), while Mankhurd (90), Jogeshwari (93), Parel-Bhoiwada (97), and Malad West (143) fell within the moderate to poor category. Despite this marginal variation, most of Mumbai remained blanketed under poor air quality conditions.

As per AQI.in’s classification, readings between 0–50 are Good, 51–100 Moderate, 101–150 Poor, 151–200 Unhealthy and anything beyond 200 is considered Severe or Hazardous. With pollution levels soaring again, Mumbaikars are advised to limit outdoor exposure and use protective masks when commuting.

Kolkata, Nov 8: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is examining bank accounts linked to a network of shell companies allegedly used to divert proceeds of crime generated through the multi-crore human trafficking racket operating in West Bengal.

The ED unearthed information about these shell companies following raid and search operations conducted on Friday at six locations across different parts of the state. During scrutiny, officials found that large sums were deposited into these accounts and withdrawn within hours, suggesting layering and diversion of illicit funds.

Sources said that through the ongoing examination of these accounts, the investigating officers are attempting to trace the ultimate beneficiaries of the racket.

Meanwhile, the ED issued a statement on Saturday confirming that during the raids, cash worth over Rs 1.01 crore, several digital devices, and property-related documents were seized.

“Several bank account details under the use and operation of the accused/suspect persons have been identified. Two high-end luxury vehicles, including a Land Rover Defender and a Jaguar, have also been frozen under the provisions of PMLA,” the agency stated.

According to the ED, the organised trafficking network operated primarily through bar-cum-restaurants and dance bars in West Bengal.

The central agency initiated its probe based on multiple FIRs registered by Kolkata Police and the West Bengal Police against the key operators of the human trafficking racket under various sections of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The ED subsequently registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Investigations have revealed that the accused exploited vulnerable women under false promises of employment, coercing them into prostitution, and generating substantial illegal proceeds in the process.

The accused identified so far include Jagjit Singh, Ajmal Siddiqui, Bishnu Mudra, and their associates, who allegedly played crucial roles in the financial and operational aspects of the racket.