Banks lead Indian shares higher on credit guarantee scheme
Indian shares advanced on Wednesday, led by banking stocks after the government approved a credit guarantee scheme to support businesses hit by the Iran war. Positive reactions to major corporate earnings and a decline in oil prices, driven by hopes of a potential U.S.-Iran peace deal, further supported the gains. The Nifty 50 rose 0.4% at 24,127.90, as of 10:05 a.m. IST, while the BSE Sensex added 0.31% to 77,260.52. Thirteen of the 16 major sectors were trading in the green. The broader small-caps and mid-caps rose about 1% each. Heavyweight banks, private banks rose 1% each, while state-owned lenders gained 1.6%. The uptick comes after the Union Cabinet approved on Tuesday a new emergency credit guarantee programme worth $1.9 billion to support businesses, particularly small firms, facing short-term liquidity stress due to the Iran war. “The scheme is a net positive for banks, a modest loan growth tailwind and a more meaningful near-term asset quality buffer,” said analysts at Nomura.