Mumbai
The Indian stock market will closely watch key domestic and global developments next week, with GST 2.0 rollout, the steep hike in H-1B visa fees, and progress in India-US trade talks expected to shape investor sentiment.
From September 22, the government will implement GST 2.0, replacing the current four-rate structure with just two slabs — 5 percent and 18 percent. Taxes on several goods have been reduced, offering direct relief to consumers and boosting demand across sectors.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has announced a sharp one-time hike in H-1B visa fees to $100,000 for new applications. As many Indians are employed in the US on H-1B visas, the move is expected to impact India’s technology sector. However, the fee is not recurring, giving some relief to companies.
On the trade front, discussions between India and the US remain in focus. An American delegation is currently in India, and both sides have described the talks as constructive. Any breakthrough could lift investor confidence further.
The domestic market ended last week strongly, with the Nifty rising 0.85 percent to 25,327.05 and the Sensex gaining 721.53 points, or 0.88 percent, to close at 82,626.23. Sectoral indices also posted healthy gains, led by PSU Banks with a 4.83 percent surge, followed by Realty at 4.43 percent, Energy at 2.31 percent, PSE at 2.19 percent, and Services at 0.95 percent.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 1,327.38 crore, the lowest outflow in weeks, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued their strong support, pumping in Rs 11,177.37 crore.
