Discover the top business headlines that are trending across the world today!
The stock market indices opened flat on Wednesday as investors awaited key inflation data from India and the US. By 9:30 AM, the S&P BSE Sensex inched up 1.44 points to 81,511.49, and the NSE Nifty50 gained 13.85 points to reach 24,623.90.
Dr. V K Vijayakumar of Geojit Financial Services stated that Nifty is in a consolidation phase with a slight upward bias. The market’s optimism is driven by the return of Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), boosting large-cap stocks, especially in banking and IT. This resurgence has also rekindled retail investor activity, particularly in mid and small-cap segments. Despite high valuations, these segments remain resilient due to sustained fund inflows.
Top gainers included Ultratech Cement (+2.12%) and Britannia (+1.78%), while laggards included Honeywell Automation (-0.89%) and ICICI Bank (-0.71%). Sector-wise, Nifty Metal rose 1.31%, while IT and banking indices declined marginally in early trade.
Smallcap stocks are witnessing a remarkable surge, with the BSE Smallcap index reaching an all-time high of 57,798.64 during Wednesday’s intra-day trade. This rally was fueled by gains in sectors like textiles, IT, pharmaceuticals, packaging, and infrastructure. The index surpassed its previous peak of 57,728.08, achieved on September 24, 2024, marking an impressive 11% recovery from its November 13 low of 51,952.79.
Several stocks, including Arvind, Deep Industries, and Garware Hi-Tech Films, hit record highs, while 397 of the 946 Smallcap index constituents outperformed the broader index, gaining over 12% since mid-November. Notably, stocks such as Nelco and Banco Products surged between 50% and 80%.
Analysts credit this rally to renewed FII activity and strong retail investor interest in midcap and smallcap segments. Despite concerns over high valuations, robust fund flows and rotational sector participation continue to sustain positive market momentum.
Maruti Suzuki India announced plans to expand its service network to 8,000 touchpoints by FY 2030-31, aiming to enhance accessibility for customers. Currently operating 5,240 touchpoints across its premium NEXA outlets and ARENA chain, the company has made significant strides in customer service.
Since launching the first NEXA service workshop in July 2017, Maruti Suzuki has steadily grown its footprint, adding 90 new NEXA service touchpoints in 2023-24—the highest in a single year. This fiscal year alone has seen 78 additional touchpoints.
Maruti Suzuki India MD & CEO, Hisashi Takeuchi, emphasized the importance of proximity to customers to ensure a seamless car ownership experience. He added that the company plans to simultaneously scale production, sales, and its service network to meet growing demand. The milestone of 500 NEXA service touchpoints was achieved within seven years and five months, reflecting Maruti Suzuki’s commitment to customer convenience.
A recent study published in Nature Communications highlights that surging global tourism emissions are driven predominantly by just 20 countries. The research, which analyzed data from 175 governments spanning 2009 to 2020, underscores the growing challenge of curbing tourism's environmental impact. Using the United Nations' "measurement of sustainable tourism" framework, the study revealed a 40% rise in tourism emissions between 2009 and 2019, increasing from 3.7 gigatonnes (7.3% of global emissions) to 5.2 gigatonnes (8.8%).
This growth is occurring at double the rate of the global economy, posing a significant threat to meeting the Paris Agreement's climate goals. The UN Environment Programme calls for a 42% reduction in global emissions by 2030 to limit warming to 1.5°C, yet tourism's rapid rebound to pre-pandemic levels following COVID-19 disruptions shows little sign of slowing. This underscores the urgent need for sustainable tourism practices and stricter emissions controls.
