The trends on Gift Nifty also indicate a tepid start for the Indian benchmark index. The Gift Nifty was trading around 23,150 level, a premium of nearly 2 points from the Nifty futures’ previous close.

Highlights: The broader markets outperformed the benchmarks, with smallcap shares leading the charge as the Nifty Smallcap100 index settled higher by 3.32 per cent

The domestic benchmark indices opened higher on Wednesday for second day in a row, as investors are now looking forward to positive cues in the upcoming Union Budget 2025-26.