Indian equity benchmarks saw a sharp spike up in afternoon trade on March 24, 2026. The Nifty was hovering near 22,770, up about 1.16%, while the Sensex was holding around 73,530, also higher by roughly 1.16% by midday.
Here are the top movers and shakers at this hour:
Asian Paints
Asian Paints share price rose about 4.4% by midday, rebounding after touching its 52-week low in the previous session.
The move follows reports that the company is planning price hikes of 6% to 8% in phases starting April 10. Rising crude oil prices, which directly affect raw material costs, are pushing the company to act.
Suzlon Energy
Suzlon Energy share price advanced about 3.4% by midday after securing its sixth order from GAIL.
The company will develop a wind energy project of around 100 MW, involving the installation of 47 wind turbine generators, each with a capacity of 2.1 MW. The project is tied to GAIL’s upcoming petrochemical plant in Nandurbar, Maharashtra, and is aimed at supporting decarbonisation efforts.
The company stated, “Enhancing its strategic focusing the PSU segment, Suzlon Group, India’s leading renewable energy solutions provider, today announced its sixth wind energy project of 100 MW from Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL).”
Auto stocks, M&M
Auto stocks traded firmly in the green, with Mahindra & Mahindra among the top movers, rising up to about 3% by midday.
The broader trigger lies outside the sector itself. Signals from the United States suggesting a temporary halt in strikes on Iran have cooled crude oil prices. Lower oil prices tend to ease input costs and support demand expectations.
The Nifty Auto index moved higher by around 2.4%, with all constituents trading in positive territory. There is also the added factor of planned price hikes by major automakers, ranging between 0.5% and 3%, effective April 1.
IRFC
Indian Railway Finance Corporation share price rose nearly 4% by midday after the company signed a rupee term loan agreement with Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd for refinancing debt up to Rs 12,842 crore.
“IRFC is actively expanding its footprint by supporting critical infrastructure sectors that have strong linkages with the railways,” the company said.
Coal India
Coal India share price declined up to 3% by midday, despite the broader market recovery.
The fall appears linked to profit booking after recent gains. But there is also a structural development in the background. The company’s board has approved, in principle, the divestment of up to 25% stake in South Eastern Coalfields Ltd through an OFS, along with a fresh issue of up to 10%.
That is a combined dilution of up to 35% of SECL’s equity.
HDFC Bank
HDFC Bank share price gained about 1.75% by midday, attempting a pause after a steep decline in recent sessions.
The bank has appointed external domestic and international law firms to review the resignation letter of former chairman Atanu Chakraborty. The resignation, which cited differences over “values and ethics”, had already unsettled sentiment.
The bank clarified that Chakraborty did not point to any specific incident. Still, the board has moved to commission an independent review. That step matters. It signals an attempt to control the narrative before it drifts further.
Keki Mistry, now interim chairman, suggested the possibility of “relationship issues” rather than deeper institutional concerns. Whether that explanation holds is something the market will judge over time, not immediately.
The stock has already corrected sharply, down more than 10% in a week and over 17% in a month.
Tejas Networks
Tejas Networks share price climbed about 5.39% by midday after rising nearly 8.77% earlier in the session.
The company has secured a purchase order for supplying 4G Radio Access Network solutions for a mobile operator in South Asia. The deployment includes multi-band radio products across multiple locations.
The stock has already gained more than 33% over the past month.
Kalpataru Projects
Kalpataru Projects share price rose about 2.38% by midday after jumping over 5% earlier.
The company secured orders worth approximately Rs 4,439 crore in its transmission and distribution business. These include projects in Africa, Sweden, and India, covering transmission lines and substations.
Management pointed out that the company has already surpassed its annual order intake target of Rs 26,000 crore.
Tata Power
Tata Power share price moved only marginally higher by about 0.05% by midday, after briefly rising over 2% earlier in the session.
The trigger came from a development that had been pending for some time. Its arm, Coastal Gujarat Power, which operates the Mundra plant, signed a supplementary power purchase agreement with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. The company has indicated that similar agreements will follow with Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.
The language used in the filing was careful but telling. “With reference to the temporary suspension of company operations of its units located at Mundra, we hereby inform you that the Company has executed a Supplementary Power Purchase Agreement for Tata Power Mundra Plant with GUVNL (Gujarat).” This is not just a routine update. The Mundra plant had been incurring losses during the shutdown, and these agreements are meant to restore viability.
