Indian markets hold steady despite sector headwinds as banking and telecom stocks weigh on sentiment. The BSE Sensex climbed 410.90 points to 77,324.40, up 0.53 percent, while the NSE Nifty 50 gained 124.60 points to 24,122.15, up 0.52 percent by midday Monday. Early gains narrowed as selling pressure intensified in key sectors. Hindustan Unilever led gainers with a 3.87 percent surge to 2,338 rupees, while Adani Ports advanced 3.84 percent to 1,721 rupees on strong trading volumes. However, Kotak Mahindra Bank emerged as the session's biggest drag, declining 2.49 percent to 373.75 rupees with massive trading activity. Bharti Airtel also fell 2.47 percent to 1,840.20 rupees, reflecting weakness in the telecom sector. Market breadth remained positive with 2,688 advancing stocks against 1,475 declining, though momentum remained uneven across broader markets.
