Sensex surges over 400 points in early trade; Nifty tops 16,550
The Hindu
BSE Sensex was trading 411.04 points or 0.74% higher at 55,740.36; NSE Nifty jumped 109.35 points or 0.66% to 16,559.85
Equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 400 points in early trade on August 23, tracking gains in index majors Reliance Industries, Infosys and HDFC twins amid a positive trend in global equities. The 30-share index was trading 411.04 points or 0.74% higher at 55,740.36, while the broader NSE Nifty jumped 109.35 points or 0.66% to 16,559.85. HCL Tech was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising over 2%, followed by Bajaj Finance, L&T, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, TCS and Reliance Industries.
The latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) by MoS&PI reveals a transformative shift in India’s economic landscape. For the first time in over a decade, granular data on Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) highlights a significant decline in the proportional share of food spending—a classic validation of Engel’s Law as real incomes rise. Between 1999 and 2024, both rural and urban consumption pivoted away from staple-heavy diets toward protein-rich foods, health, education, and conveyance. As Indian households move beyond subsistence, these shifting Indian household spending patterns offer vital insights for social sector policy, poverty estimation, and the lived realities of an expanding middle-income population.












