Gift Nifty Signals Weak Start for Indian Equities on August 28

India’s benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are expected to open lower on Thursday as the additional 25% US tariffs on Indian exports came into effect. With this, the cumulative tariffs imposed by the US on India have risen to 50%.

Gift Nifty Today

The Gift Nifty was hovering around the 24,649 level, about 82 points lower than Nifty futures’ previous close, signalling a negative start for domestic equities.

Asian Market Overview

Asian equities traded mixed on Thursday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.20% and the Topix rose 0.11%. In South Korea, the Kospi added 0.29%, while the Kosdaq declined 0.34%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng futures indicated a weaker opening.

Wall Street Insights

US markets ended higher on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 hitting an intra-day record high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.31% to 45,557.67, the S&P 500 gained 0.22% to 6,480.05, and the Nasdaq added 0.18% to close at 21,583.83.

Trump Tariffs

The fresh 25% tariffs imposed by the US administration on Indian exports took effect on August 27, 2025. US President Donald Trump had signed the executive order in retaliation for India’s continued imports of crude oil from Russia. This has taken the total US tariffs on Indian goods to 50%.

Domestic Market Recap

On Tuesday, markets ended sharply lower. The Sensex tumbled 849.37 points (1.04%) to close at 80,786.54, while the Nifty 50 slipped 255.70 points (1.02%) to settle at 24,712.05.

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Conclusion

Indian equities are likely to remain under pressure amid rising trade tensions with the US and fresh tariff shocks, even as global cues from Wall Street remain positive. While Asian markets show mixed trends, the sharp escalation in trade barriers could weigh heavily on investor sentiment in the near term.

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