Mumbai, August 13, 2026: Indian equity benchmarks opened largely flat on Thursday as investors weighed strong domestic economic fundamentals against concerns over elevated crude oil prices.
The Sensex gained 145.56 points, or 0.19 per cent, to open at 78,111.91, while the Nifty slipped 4.35 points, or 0.02 per cent, to 24,431.60.
The Nifty Media index rose 0.61 per cent and Nifty Auto gained 0.39 per cent. Meanwhile, Nifty Realty declined 0.81 per cent and Nifty IT fell 0.69 per cent, while PSU Bank, Oil & Gas and Private Bank indices also traded lower.
Market experts said strong GST collections, freight movement, automobile sales and credit growth continue to reflect resilience in the domestic economy. However, elevated crude oil prices remain a key risk for inflation, input costs and overall market sentiment.
Brent crude fell more than 1 per cent to $87.75 per barrel, while WTI declined 1.64 per cent to $81.90 per barrel.
Technically, analysts expect the Nifty to remain in a consolidation phase, with 24,540–24,666 seen as an immediate upside zone and 24,850–25,100 as the next potential target if momentum strengthens.
Overall, investors are likely to remain cautious while tracking domestic economic indicators, crude oil prices and global market cues.