Indian stock markets surged in early trade on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, as investors returned from the Diwali holiday and foreign institutional investors continued to buy Indian shares aggressively.

The BSE Sensex, which closed at 81,106.65 on Monday, opened at 82,248.68 and was trading at 82,273.19 at 9.19am, up 1,166.54 points or 1.44 per cent. The Nifty 50, which closed at 25,044.65, opened at 25,337.80 and stood at 25,352.45 at the same time, up 307.80 points or 1.23 per cent.

Indian markets had been closed on Tuesday for Diwali Balipratipada, so Wednesday was the first trading session since Monday. Bank Nifty also opened strongly, starting at 60,524.70, up 783.45 points.

Foreign investors drive the rally

The rally has been powered by foreign institutional investors returning to Indian equities in force. VK Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments, told The Hindu BusinessLine that the Nifty 50 had surged by 8.6 per cent in just six trading days this month, driven mainly by aggressive foreign buying of ₹53,170 crore so far in November.

On Monday alone, foreign investors were net buyers of ₹7,212 crore, even as domestic institutional investors sold equities worth ₹7,172 crore, their eighth consecutive session of net selling. Foreign investors have poured $5.68 billion into Indian shares this month, more than in any month since September 2024, according to Analytics Insight.

Sectors leading the gains

Aviation, auto, insurance and telecom stocks led the early gains, with the broader market following the benchmarks higher. The surge also came as crude oil prices fell, easing cost pressures for Indian companies and consumers in a country that imports most of its oil.

The strong opening extended a powerful run for Indian equities. The Nifty had already reclaimed the 25,000 mark in the previous week, and the latest gains took it further above that level. The Sensex, meanwhile, moved well above 82,000 for the first time in the current rally.

What investors will watch next

Traders will now watch whether the early gains hold through the close, and whether foreign buying continues at the same pace. Domestic selling has acted as a counterweight in recent sessions, with local institutions taking profits even as overseas buyers stepped in.

India's consumer inflation data and global cues, including the fallout from hotter-than-expected United States inflation figures, are among the factors investors will follow in the days ahead. For now, the Diwali return has given Indian markets a strong start, with foreign money doing most of the heavy lifting.

Sources: The Hindu BusinessLine; Analytics Insight. Market levels are early-trade figures as reported on 11 November 2026, not closing levels. This article is for information only and is not investment advice.