Mumbai, India – India’s equity benchmarks rose sharply on Wednesday, with the Nifty 50 and Sensex climbing about 0.8% each, led by strong gains in information technology (IT) stocks.

The IT index surged 2%, fueled by optimism over progress in U.S.-India trade talks and hopes that the prolonged U.S. government shutdown could soon end.

All 16 major sectors advanced, with small-cap and mid-cap indices gaining roughly 0.7% each. Heavyweights like Reliance Industries contributed to the rally, rising about 2%.

Market sentiment was further boosted by exit polls from Bihar, suggesting a win for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), reinforcing expectations of policy continuity and government stability, according to Kotak Private Banking.

Among individual stock movers, BSE, India’s leading stock market operator, rose 5% after higher transaction income lifted its second-quarter earnings. Meanwhile, Billionbrains Garage Ventures, the parent of online broker Groww, made a strong debut on the stock exchange, listing at a 12% premium and surging as much as 20% during early trading.

Overall, the combination of trade optimism, political clarity, and strong earnings reports drove a broad-based rally across the Indian stock market.