Indian Stock Market Today: IT Stocks Power Gains, Sensex Jumps 633 Points

Indian equity markets logged a hat-trick of gains on March 18, 2026, riding positive global cues and easing crude oil concerns, but not every sector joined the rally. Aside from FMCG and metal, all other sectoral indices ended higher.

Here’s a quick update.

Which stocks led the stock market higher on March 18?

IT stocks dominated the session. Infosys, HCL Tech, TCS and Coforge powered the Nifty IT index up over 3–4%. Auto heavyweights like Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors PV also featured among the day's top gainers.

Which individual share saw a notably sharp surge?

Eternal Ltd, the parent company behind Zomato and Blinkit, topped the gainers list on March 17 after a slide from its recent peak made the stock look attractively priced. Renewed value buying pushed shares up over 4% on the day, with sentiment further boosted by a brokerage flagging potential upside of as much as 80% over the next 12 months.

How did the Sensex and Nifty perform overall?

At close, Sensex jumped 633 points at 76,704. The Nifty was up 0.83% at 23,777. The biggest Nifty gainers included Jio Financial, Tech Mahindra, Eternal, and HCL. The Nifty IT index climbed 2.78%.

Which shares dropped or came under pressure?

Metal stocks bore the brunt of selling, as the Nifty Metal index declined by 0.10%. NTPC, Coal India and HDFC Bank also slid. Dee Development Engineers tumbled 10% on export delay concerns, while rising West Asia logistics costs weighed on select counters.

Which shares plateaued and why?

Gold, silver, and FMCG stocks traded range-bound, with precious metals carrying a mild bearish bias. Investors in these segments held back ahead of the US Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, choosing caution over fresh positioning.

What kept the rally from being more broad-based?

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued net selling from the previous session, offsetting some optimism. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) stepped in with strong buying to stabilize the market, but lingering Fed uncertainty and geopolitical volatility kept many retail investors on the sidelines.

(With inputs from yMedia)