New Delhi, June 18 -- Defence stocks extended their rally in the Indian stock market on Thursday, supported by strong buying momentum following robust defence production data. The gains lifted the Nifty India Defence index by nearly 1%, after a sharp 4% surge in the previous session. The index has now advanced for five consecutive trading sessions.

Among the top gainers on the Nifty India Defence index, Aequs and Zen Technologies climbed more than 5% each. Other significant gainers included Dynamatic Technologies, Solar Industries India, Astra Microwave Products, MTAR Technologies, Paras Defence and Space Technologies, and Bharat Electronics (BEL) shares, which rose between 1% and 3%.

The rally was triggered by data released by the Mini...