BENGALURU, February 17, 2026, 22:36 IST — Market closed
- Nifty 50 edged up 0.17% to 25,725.40, while the Sensex climbed 0.21%, closing at 83,450.96.
- Infosys surged after its Anthropic partnership, cushioning losses from Reliance’s decline
- Next up, traders are eyeing the Fed minutes set for Wednesday, with U.S. GDP figures coming Friday—both key signals for the market.
India’s Nifty 50 managed a 0.17% gain to 25,725.40, while the Sensex finished up 0.21% at 83,450.96 on Tuesday. Early losses of nearly 0.4% faded as Infosys jumped following news of its partnership with U.S. AI player Anthropic, helping offset weakness in Reliance Industries. “Infosys’ tie-up with Anthropic is a step in the right direction,” said G. Chokkalingam, founder and head of research at Equinomics Research. Reuters
Tech’s late surge landed just as investors remain on edge over AI’s impact on traditional outsourcing, with IT’s heavy presence able to jolt the indexes fast. “There is some value buying as well as churn from IT towards other sectors,” Anita Gandhi, who heads institutional business at Arihant Capital Markets, said after HDFC Bank and Reliance powered Monday’s bounce. Reuters
The back-and-forth has traders on edge. One merger rumor can yank the market from a rough start to a stable finish—only to see the gains slip away the following day.
Adani’s sweeping pledge caught traders’ attention. Adani Enterprises announced a $100 billion investment plan, aiming to roll out renewable-powered, AI-ready data centres by 2035—a project it’s touting as the foundation for a broader national AI surge. Ambareesh Baliga, an independent market analyst, called these data centres “a critical nerve centre of the AI-driven environment.” Company chairman Gautam Adani weighed in on X: “For decades, we imported technology. Now we are building the backbone.” Reuters
Stocks saw big moves from a select few. Infosys closed up 1.83% at 1,391.30 rupees on the Sensex. Reliance, on the other hand, lost 0.87%, finishing at 1,423.90. Adani Enterprises picked up 2.71% to settle at 2,243.80.
The rupee barely budged, ending the day at 90.6725 per dollar. Traders cited periodic intervention from the central bank as the currency inched closer to the 91 mark.
Equity traders keep half an eye on currency and oil, always lurking as risk gauges. The rupee slips, financial conditions get a bit tighter. And if energy costs start climbing for real, it feeds straight into India’s inflation numbers.
Overnight signals are driving direction now. Eyes turn to U.S. Federal Reserve minutes set for Wednesday, and U.S. GDP data expected Friday. Oil prices, meanwhile, are moving amid the ongoing chatter over U.S.-Iran negotiations.
The easy gains Tuesday could prove delicate. Should anxiety over AI-driven turmoil return, IT’s rebound may vanish in a hurry. A spike in crude from geopolitical tensions? That alone can drain the market’s appetite for risk fast.
On Wednesday, focus stays on whether IT demand stretches past Infosys, and if buyers keep stepping into weakness across financials. Calendar’s straightforward: Fed minutes drop Wednesday, U.S. GDP lands Friday.
