Indian stock markets opened sharply higher on Thursday, led by a surge in benchmark indices after positive global cues and fresh comments from US President Donald Trump over the India-US trade deal. The S&P BSE Sensex jumped 760.64 points to 82,670.27, while the NSE Nifty advanced 246.10 points to 25,403.60 in early trade.

Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, noted that Trump’s assurance on refraining from imposing tariffs on Europe eased fears of a US-Europe trade war, creating a conducive environment for a relief rally. Short-covering, especially with around 2 lakh short contracts in the market, added momentum to the upward move.

Among early gainers, Eternal led with a 6.51% rise, followed by Mahindra & Mahindra (1.87%), Adani Ports (1.83%), UltraTech Cement (1.26%), and Bharat Electronics (1.06%). There were minimal losers, reflecting low selling pressure at the session’s start.

The rally extended beyond large-cap stocks, with the Nifty Midcap 100 index rising 1.43% and the Nifty Smallcap 100 gaining 1.12%. Market volatility eased as India VIX fell 3.01%, indicating improved investor confidence. Analysts believe Q3 corporate results, despite higher provisions for the new labor code, will have limited long-term impact. Eternal’s strong revenue and profit growth from its quick commerce business stood out among recent results.

Overall, the market’s positive momentum reflects optimism over global trade stability, corporate earnings resilience, and renewed investor confidence in both large and mid/small-cap segments.