Mumbai, April 8 -- The domestic equity benchmarks opened on a strong note, driven by a sharp decline in oil prices following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran. Sentiment was further supported by a strengthening rupee, adding to the positive momentum in the markets.

Investors are now closely watching the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) outcome, with RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra set to announce key policy decisions at 10 a.m., marking the first meeting of the financial year 2026-27. The Nifty traded above the 23,850 mark. Barring the IT index, all sectoral indices on the NSE were trading in positive territory, led by strong gains in realty, auto, and financial stocks.

At 09:30 IST, the barometer index, the ...