When the news says "the market rose today", it usually means a benchmark index rose. In India the two headline indices are the NIFTY 50 and the SENSEX.
What an index is
An index is a basket of stocks combined into a single number, weighted (in these cases) by free-float market cap — so larger companies move it more. Tracking the index is a quick way to gauge the overall direction of the market.
NIFTY 50 vs SENSEX
- The NIFTY 50 (NSE) tracks 50 large-cap companies across sectors.
- The SENSEX (BSE) tracks 30 large companies.
They overlap heavily and usually move together. Alongside them sit sectoral and size indices — BANK NIFTY, Nifty IT, Nifty Midcap 100, Nifty Smallcap 100, and more — which show how a particular slice of the market is doing.
Why watch indices
Indices give you context. A stock up 1% on a day the NIFTY is up 2% has actually underperformed the market. Index levels also frame "market breadth" — how broad a move is.
See live end-of-day levels for the major Indian and global indices, plus currencies and ADRs, on the Indices & FX page. Each one links out to its TradingView chart.