Indian equities have maintained a steady pace with a clear upward bias in afternoon trade . The Nifty 50 is hovering around the 26,300 level, close to the November 2025 highs, while the Sensex hovered close to 85,700. But the standout performers are individual stocks fuelled by order wins, sales data, regulatory disputes and sector-wide themes.
Here is a quick look at the top movers and shakers at this hour-
Coal India
Coal India Ltd. share price today: State-owned Coal India shares were buzzing in trade on Friday, with the scrip rising up to 6.15% to hit a fresh 52-week high of Rs 425 per share. Shares of Coal India surged after the state-owned miner announced that, effective January 1, 2026, coal consumers in neighbouring countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, will be allowed to directly participate in its Single Window Mode Agnostic (SWMA) e-auctions, marking a first for the company.
Devyani International, Sapphire Foods
Shares of Devyani International Ltd. jumped over 8% after the company announced a merger with Sapphire Foods, creating a single unified Yum! India franchisee for KFC and Pizza Hut.
Sapphire Foods, in contrast, traded around 3% lower, reflecting typical divergence seen in merger announcements as investors reassess valuation and integration risks.
ITC
Cigarette and tobacco stocks extended their decline. ITC Ltd. fell over 5% at midday, while Godfrey Phillips slipped more than 3% and VST Industries declined nearly 2%.
The continued selling followed the government’s decision to impose additional excise duty on cigarettes and tobacco products from February 1, with the steepest hikes applied to longer, premium cigarettes.
Bharat Electronics
The share price of of Bharat Electronics Ltd. clocked over 1% gains after the Navratna defence PSU disclosed fresh orders worth Rs 569 crore since its last update on December 29. The latest contracts include communication equipment, medical electronics, instant fire detection and suppression systems, upgrades, spares and services.
This came on top of earlier disclosures in December, including an additional Rs 776 crore order book expansion covering radars, simulators, tank overhaul and security software. While the stock has slipped nearly 5% over the past month and about 8% over six months, it remains sharply higher on a year-on-year basis, up over 35%, reflecting steady defence spending rather than speculative interest.
Vodafone Idea
Shares of Vodafone Idea Ltd. were trading around 4% higher after the company said it would legally challenge a Rs 638 crore GST penalty order issued by authorities in Ahmedabad.
The telecom operator clarified that it does not agree with the order and will pursue appropriate legal remedies. It also said that the maximum financial impact would be limited to the tax demand, interest and penalty, a statement that appeared to calm investor nerves after recent volatility in the stock.
Auto stocks
Auto stocks dominated the movers list, pushing the Nifty Auto index up around 1.2% to a record high near 28,823. Twelve of the fifteen constituents were in positive territory.
Bosch Ltd. led the pack, rising over 3%, followed by Hero MotoCorp (+2.4%), TVS Motor Company Ltd. (+1.4%) and Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (+1.4%). Shares of Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland and Bharat Forge were also up about 1% each.
The rally followed confirmation that passenger vehicle wholesales touched a record 45.5 lakh units in 2025, up nearly 6% year-on-year, with SUVs accounting for close to 56% of total sales. Support also came from continued traction under the PLI Auto scheme, which has attracted Rs 35,657 crore in cumulative investment so far.
TVS Motor
TVS Motor Company Ltd. shares rose over 2%, hitting a fresh 52-week high at midday. The move followed strong December sales numbers, with total volumes jumping 50% year-on-year to 4.81 lakh units.
Motorcycle sales rose 50%, scooter sales climbed 48%, while electric vehicle volumes surged 77%. The company continued to lead the domestic electric two-wheeler market with a 26.14% share in December, reinforcing investor confidence despite a sequential dip from November.
Olectra Greentech, JBM Auto
Electric bus manufacturers saw sharp gains. Shares of JBM Auto Ltd. surged about 7.6%, while Olectra Greentech advanced over 6% at midday.
Olectra’s rally followed confirmation that its greenfield EV manufacturing facility in Telangana has achieved Phase I commercial operations, with an annual per-shift capacity of 2,500 buses, representing half of its planned scale.