Nifty India Defence Index Ends Lower; Astra Microwave Leads Declines

The Indian equity market saw modest movement on Thursday, August 14, 2025. While the broader indices held steady, the defence sector, which had been in focus due to record-high production figures, witnessed a mild decline. 

Indian Equity Indices Show Modest Gains

On August 14, 2025, the Nifty 50 index closed marginally higher by 0.05% and the Sensex rose by 0.07%. 

Nifty India Defence Index Declines After Rally

The Nifty India Defence Index, which tracks the performance of companies representing the defence theme, fell by 0.28% on August 14, 2025. This decline followed a significant rally on August 13, suggesting some cooling-off in the segment.

Mixed Performance Among Defence Stocks

On August 14, several defence counters such as Astra Microwave Products, Ideaforge Technology and Dynamatic Technologies fell by up to 2.8% on a provisional basis. Other prominent stocks, including BEL, Mazdock, Midhani and GRSE, recorded declines ranging between 1% and 2%.

In contrast, MTAR Technologies gained over 3%, while HAL, Solar Industries and Data Patterns closed in positive territory, showing selective strength in the sector.

Defence Production Reaches Record High

The recent investor interest in defence stocks has been partly driven by robust production data. India’s defence production touched an all-time high of ₹1,50,590 crore in FY25, marking an 18% increase from ₹1.27 lakh crore in FY24 and an impressive 90% rise since FY20.

Read More: Top Gainers and Losers on August 14, 2025: Markets End Flat; Wipro Leads Gainers, Tata Steel Falls! 

Conclusion 

Despite the single-day drop on August 14, the Nifty India Defence Index posted a 2.6% gain for the week, ending a 5-week losing run. 

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