logo
Nifty faces resistance at 25,000 mark amid geopolitical tensions

Nifty faces resistance at 25,000 mark amid geopolitical tensions

Economic Times18-06-2025
Earlier this year, Nifty crossed 25,000 for the first time in seven months on May 15, after Donald Trump claimed that India had offered to drop all tariffs on US imports.
The Nifty benchmark faces a significant hurdle at the 25,000 mark in 2025, struggling to maintain levels above it amid geopolitical tensions and a lack of positive catalysts. Analysts observe profit booking and heavy call writing around this level, indicating resistance to further upward movement.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Mumbai: The 25,000 mark is turning out to be a key hurdle for the benchmark Nifty . In 2025, the index has failed to stay above this psychologically important level for more than four straight trading sessions, while it has closed above it seven times in this year, according to ETIG data.Now, with geopolitical uncertainty heightening of late, and a lack of positive triggers, analysts see the 25,000-mark remaining a resistance against big market moves in the near future.The highest closing for the Nifty in 2025 so far has been at 25,141 on June 11. The index closed at 24,853 on Tuesday, down 93.1 points, or 0.4%, over the previous trading session with no end in sight to the conflict between Iran and Israel."Market sentiment remains uncertain amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, limiting Nifty's ability to sustain levels above 25,000," said Shrikant Chouhan, head of equity research at Kotak Securities. "Valuations in India are now stretched, with most positive factors such as RBI rate cuts, a good monsoon and strong macro indicators already priced in."Chouhan said investors are booking profits at higher levels, capping the upside for the index.Traders are build derivative positions around 25,000, betting that the index will not surge past the 25,000 mark.Rajesh Palviya, head of technical and derivatives research at Axis Securities, said the 25,000 level has emerged as a strong resistance zone due to heavy call writing . When a trader writes (or sells) a call option at a particular strike (25,000 in this case), it's an indication she does not expect the index to cross that level."For the fifth consecutive week, the index has failed to sustain above this level, with fresh call writing now emerging even at 24,900," he said. "A potential ceasefire in the Iran-Israel conflict remains the key near-term trigger for any meaningful upside."Earlier this year, Nifty crossed 25,000 for the first time in seven months on May 15, after Donald Trump claimed that India had offered to drop all tariffs on US imports.Ruchit Jain, vice-president at Motilal Oswal Financial Services , said the Nifty has traded within a broad range in the last couple of days, with 24,500-24,450 being crucial support, where dips are getting bought into."On the higher side, 25,000-25,200 has been acting as a resistance as it is the previous swing high resistance zone also seen during mid-October 2024," he said. "This consolidation in a broad range seems to be a time-wise corrective phase post the recent run-up in the last couple of months."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘Tariff King'? The U.S. Got It Wrong – India's Trade Duties Tell A Different Story
‘Tariff King'? The U.S. Got It Wrong – India's Trade Duties Tell A Different Story

India.com

time27 minutes ago

  • India.com

‘Tariff King'? The U.S. Got It Wrong – India's Trade Duties Tell A Different Story

New Delhi: U.S. President Donald Trump recently branded India as the 'tariff hing', accusing it of abusing trade duties to shield its markets. But actual trade data paints a vastly different picture. According to the World Bank, India's simple average tariff sits at 15.98%, but its trade‑weighted average, reflecting what most imported goods actually face, is only 4.6%. The lower rate reflects the reality that most high tariffs apply to low‑volume sectors such as agriculture or automobiles, while major imports like pharmaceuticals, energy, machinery and chemicals face much lighter duties (typically 5‑8%). India's imports from the United States in FY 2023‑24 totaled over $42.2 billion, with roughly 75% concentrated in just 100 product lines. Those goods generally attracted low or minimal tariffs. For instance, crude oil and LNG carry a duty of Rs 1.10/tonne and 2.75%, accounting for 18.25% of U.S. imports to India. Industrial machinery draws a 7.5% tariff; coal faces 5%; medical equipment carries 5‑7.5%; aircraft and parts are charged only 2.5%; and fertilizers go up to 10%. Thank you to schemes like Special Economic Zones, Export‑Oriented Units and Free Trade Agreements, a fair share of imports enters duty‑free. India has also been gradually reducing tariffs over three decades, from 80.9% in 1990 down to 15.98% in 2023, with the weighted average at just 4.6%. In January of this year alone, India slashed duties on several U.S. exports such as motorcycles, bourbon whiskey, ethernet switches, synthetic flavourings, fish hydrolysate and abolished a 6% equalisation levy on online services. It also removed retaliatory tariffs on apples, almonds and walnuts. Global comparisons reinforce India's position as moderate, not excessive. The Word Trade Organisation (WTO) data shows India imposes 0% on most semiconductors and IT hardware, compared with Vietnam's 50%, China's 25% and Indonesia's 30%. On agricultural tariffs, India averages 33% (with a max of 110‑150%) versus the European Union (EU)'s cap of 261%, Japan's 298% and South Korea's over 800% on certain items. Neighboring economies fare similarly: Bangladesh at 14.1%, Turkiye at 16.2%, Argentina at 13.4%. India's trade‑weighted rate remains lower than Vietnam's 5.1% and Indonesia's 5.7% and is nearly equal to the EU's 5%. India's non‑tariff barriers remain modest and predictable. Its Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for food products meet or exceed Codex norms in 24 out of 32 cases, compared to Japan and EU standards. Rules around biotech and veterinary certifications follow science‑based global norms. Contrast that with China's more opaque system of over 2,600 non‑tariff measures, many of which pose challenges for exporters. Meanwhile, the United States maintains steep tariffs on products like sour cream (average 197%, max 297%), tobacco (average 184%, up to 350%) and peanuts (average 115%, up to 164%). Even cheese tariffs hover near 24% and automobiles average 19%. India's approach, particularly in agriculture, reflects common international practices aimed at protecting farmers and ensuring food security. Judged by global norms, its tariff strategy aligns more with calculated trade policy than protectionism. The label of 'tariff king' obscures more than it reveals. India appears far from an outlier. It has phased in trade liberalisation consistently. It negotiates tariff relief for key partners. It removes barriers when possible. Its tariff profile compares favorably even with developed participants in global commerce. India is not a tariff miser. India is a measured trader.

Will ‘substantially' increase India tariffs, Trump warns
Will ‘substantially' increase India tariffs, Trump warns

Hindustan Times

time27 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Will ‘substantially' increase India tariffs, Trump warns

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to raise tariffs on India 'very substantially' within the next 24 hours, to penalise it for Russian oil purchases that he claimed were fuelling the 'Russian war machine'. Trump's threat comes just a day after the American leader criticised India for making large profits from refining and selling Russian oil on global markets. (REUTERS) 'With India, what people don't like to say about it, is that they are the highest tariffed nation. They have the highest tariff of anybody. We do very, very little business with India because their tariffs are so high,' Trump said during a television interview. 'So India has not been a good trading partner because they do a lot of business with us but we don't do business with them... we settled on 25% but I think I'm going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours because they're buying Russian oil. They're fuelling the war machine. If they do that, then I'm not going to be very happy,' he added. The president's latest threat, in brief remarks to American TV channel CNBC, came hours after India mounted its strongest defence yet of Russian energy ties, with external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Monday calling American tariff threats 'unjustified and unreasonable.' 'Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,' Jaiswal said on Monday, defending India's Russian energy imports as essential for affordable energy costs. Russia on Tuesday backed India's right to choose its trading partners, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying sovereign countries have the right to select partners in trade and economic cooperation based on their interests. 'We believe that sovereign countries must have and do have the right to choose their trade partners, the partners in trade and economic cooperation, on their own and independently determine those modes of trade and economic cooperation that suit the interests of a country in question,' Peskov told journalists, commenting on the US threats regarding India. Trump's threat comes just a day after the American leader criticised India for making large profits from refining and selling Russian oil on global markets. On July 30, Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods, while citing New Delhi's purchases of Russian energy and military equipment as irritants in the bilateral relationship. Later on July 31, Trump termed India and Russia 'dead economies' in a post on Truth Social. Following the president's statements, key administration officials, such as secretary of state Marco Rubio and treasury secretary Scott Bessent have also made statements criticising Indian energy purchases from Russia. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, India bought 38% of all Russian crude oil exports in June, behind only China. CREA also estimated that India purchased 49 billion euros—roughly $56 billion—worth of Russian fossil fuels in 2024. The 24-hour ultimatum threatens to derail trade negotiations scheduled to begin August 25 in New Delhi, with both countries having described the talks as making substantial progress toward a breakthrough agreement. 'To India's surprise, President Trump's position on Russia has moved considerably since his 2024 election campaign. What he is expressing, however, is consistent with views amongst both Democrats and Republicans across the political spectrum, which hold that India could be doing more to economically constrain Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine,' said Sameer Lalwani, non resident senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment. 'India has made reasonable defences of its oil and arms imports, but this will certainly make a trade deal harder and further complicate US-India strategic partnership. That said, there is a plausible path out of this since oil imports from Russia are not as politically salient for the Modi government as agriculture protections, and India has previously cooperated with the last Trump administration on oil imports, specifically from Iran,' Lalwani added. The president's new tariff threat creates immediate uncertainty for Indian exporters already grappling with the 25% tariff that is set to take effect on August 7, while potentially forcing New Delhi to choose between energy security and trade relations with its largest export market. India exported $86.5 billion worth of goods to the US in fiscal 2025, creating a $41 billion trade surplus that has become a persistent irritant in bilateral relations. However, industry experts estimate that 45-50% of Indian goods may avoid additional tariffs due to existing exemptions for electronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy products. Trump's escalating threats prompted rare political unity in India, with both the ruling BJP and opposition Congress condemning the American president's approach in unusually strong terms. Congress leader Manish Tewari said Trump's 'disparaging remarks hurt the dignity and self-respect of Indians,' adding: 'The time has come to call out this constant bullying and hectoring.' BJP leader Baijayant Jay Panda quoted former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger in a post on X: 'To be an enemy of America can be dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal.' Indian stock markets ended slightly lower on Tuesday as fresh tariff warnings dampened investor sentiment. The BSE Sensex fell 308.47 points or 0.38% to close at 80,710.25, whilst the NSE Nifty dropped 73.20 points or 0.30% to 24,649.55. During intraday trading, the Sensex hit a low of 80,554.40, declining as much as 464.32 points, before recovering somewhat by the close. Oil & Gas stocks led the decline, falling 0.96%, followed by Energy (-0.74%) and FMCG (-0.61%) sectors.

‘Never said a percentage': Trump on tariffs on countries buying from Russia after India's response to ‘penalty' threat
‘Never said a percentage': Trump on tariffs on countries buying from Russia after India's response to ‘penalty' threat

Hindustan Times

time27 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

‘Never said a percentage': Trump on tariffs on countries buying from Russia after India's response to ‘penalty' threat

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he never specified the exact rate of tariffs he would impose on countries doing business with Russia. US President Donald Trump responded to a question on tariffs for countries buying Russian energy(Bloomberg) "I never said a percentage, but we'll be doing quite a bit of that. We'll see what happens over the next fairly short period of time. But we will see what happens...", Trump said during a press conference. This comes just days after he targeted India for buying oil and arms from Russia, and for being the country's "largest buyer of energy". He has imposed 25% tariffs on India and threatened more. On Tuesday, though, he said that there's a meeting scheduled with Russian officials on Wednesday, following which a decision on secondary sanctions would be made. The Republican leader was responding specifically to a question on whether he would come through on his threat to impose "100% tariffs" on countries buying Russian energy. These countries include India and China. US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Russia for meetings this week with officials there. Last month, Trump had threatened 100 per cent tariffs on Russia, and "secondary tariffs" on countries buying oil from the country if Moscow did not agree to a peace agreement with Ukraine in 50 days. 'We're very, very unhappy with them. And we're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days. Tariffs at about 100 per cent, you'd call them secondary tariffs,' Trump had said. Weeks later and just days before his August 1 reciprocal tariffs deadline, Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on Indian imports, threatening penalties for doing business with Russia. However, there was no clarification on what the penalties would be. On India citing US trade with Russia New Delhi has cited the United States' trade with Moscow — significant imports like uranium hexafluoride, fertilisers and chemicals — and said the US and EU were unfair in targeting India over its oil imports from Russia. When asked about India's argument during the same press conference, Trump said, "I don't know anything about it, I'd have to check, but we'll get back to you on that." Even as Trump's tariff threats loom, India and Russia have reaffirmed their commitment to boost bilateral defence cooperation. The development came during a meeting between Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar and Russia's Deputy Defence Minister Colonel-General Alexander Fomin, reported news agency PTI. 'During the conversation, the two sides discussed in detail the pertinent issues of bilateral interaction in the sphere of defence and confirmed their intent toward the further strengthening of relevant cooperation in the spirit of particularly privileged strategic partnership,' a statement by the Russian Ministry of Defence read. After Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on India, New Delhi released a statement backing its energy trade with Russia. India argued that it began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the Russia-Ukraine conflict began. 'The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability,' the foreign ministry said. India is a key energy partner for Russia, becoming the buyer of oil worth $50.2 billion in 2024-25, according to Reuters report.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store