Stories
Trump Russia Sanctions Waiver Brings Relief To Indian Markets
- •US President Donald Trump issued an executive order waiving new sanctions and tariffs under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, removing immediate uncertainty over India's Russian oil purchases.
- •Indian markets recorded their biggest weekly gains since April 2026, driven largely by a massive rebound in IT stocks where the Nifty IT index surged nearly 12% in its best weekly performance in 18 years.
- •Top IT firms including Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and HCL Technologies saw significant market capitalisation increases following better-than-expected earnings and easing AI-related concerns.
- •Despite the sanctions waiver relief, surging crude prices with Brent crossing 110 dollars a barrel due to escalating geopolitical tensions continue to pose a key risk for the Indian equities outlook.
Key Questions Answered
US President Donald Trump issued an executive order waiving new sanctions and tariffs under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. This decision removes the immediate threat of proposed 100% duties on major buyers of Russian crude like India, providing temporary relief and reducing market uncertainty.
The Nifty IT index surged nearly 12% for its biggest weekly gain in 18 years, adding nearly $30 billion to the market capitalization of top IT firms. This rally was driven by better-than-expected software company earnings and a pullback in global AI-related stocks, which helped revive domestic investor confidence.
Despite the US tariff waiver, surging crude prices remain a major risk for India as Brent crude briefly crossed $110 a barrel. Escalating geopolitical conflicts, including Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, Houthi strikes affecting Saudi Arabia, and Ukrainian targeting of Russian energy infrastructure, have severely strained global energy security.
