Sensex, Nifty end marginally higher as heavyweight stocks fall

The Nifty Bank Index lost 0.36%, clocking its fourth session of losses in five. Reliance fell 0.5%, snapping a three-day streak of gains, and was the top drag to the Nifty 50.

Indian shares gave up most of their gains to end slightly higher on Tuesday, as optimism over the country's record surge in COVID-19 vaccinations was countered by losses in heavyweight financial stocks and conglomerate Reliance Industries. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex closed 0.03% higher at 52,588.71, while the blue-chip NSE Nifty 50 index gained 0.17% to end at 15,772.75. Earlier in the day, the Sensex breached the 53,000 mark while the Nifty came within a whisker of its all-time high, as investor sentiment was lifted by India's record vaccination rollout of 8.3 million doses on Monday, and a recovery in global markets from four-week lows.