Welspun Corp, RailTel, JBM Auto among buzzing stocks as SENSEX, NIFTY50 trade flat in noon deals

The Indian benchmark indices, SENSEX and NIFTY50, were trading flat in the afternoon session on Friday, August 21, amid mixed global cues and elevated crude oil prices due to continued geopolitical uncertainty in West Asia.

The SENSEX advanced as much as 0.2% to hit an intraday high of 77,725.67. Meanwhile, the NIFTY50 climbed as much as 0.22% to touch the session’s peak of 24,284.05.

At 12:46 PM, the S&P BSE SENSEX rose 27.46 points, or 0.03%, to trade at 77,565.18, while NSE’s NIFTY50 traded flat at 24,234.10, reflecting a 2.25-point, or 0.01%, increase.

The top gainers in the NIFTY50 index included Power Grid Corporation of India, HDFC Life Insurance Company, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bharat Electronics Ltd and HDFC Bank.

On the other hand, the top losers included Cipla, InterGlobe Aviation, JSW Steel, Maruti Suzuki India and Tata Consumer Products.

Buzzing stocks on August 21: Check list

Shares of sugar companies were trading with notable losses on Friday, August 21, as the government on Thursday allowed duty-free imports of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar under a tariff rate quota till October 31 amid rising prices of the sweetener in local markets. The move is aimed at enhancing domestic availability and capping price rise.

To control prices, the government has also imposed a stockholding limit on bulk consumers who use more than 10 tonnes of sugar a month, capping their stock at 15 days' consumption.

Sugar stocks are in the red today as the government's move is expected to reduce sugar prices, which can hurt the profitability of sugar companies.

Investors are pricing in the possibility that lower sugar prices could compress margins for sugar producers, which is why stocks such as Balrampur Chini, Shree Renuka Sugars and Dalmia Bharat Sugar came under selling pressure.

The stock of Colgate Palmolive (India) fell as much as 1.6% to hit an intraday low of ₹1,880.10 per equity share on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday, August 21, after its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Prabha Narasimhan, resigned from her position, with effect from the close of business on September 27, 2026.

The resignation follows Narasimhan’s promotion to Executive Vice President - Marketing, Asia-Pacific Division of Colgate-Palmolive, according to a regulatory filing.

Furthermore, the company’s board of directors, based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, approved the appointment of Manish Anandani as the Managing Director and CEO for a period of five consecutive years, effective September 28, 2026, in succession to Prabha Narasimhan.

The appointment is subject to shareholder approval, the filing added.

Shares of Data Patterns India surged more than 6% to hit its 52-week high of ₹5,000 apiece during the trading session on Friday, August 21, as equity investors reacted to the company securing a nearly ₹586 crore radar electronics supply order from Bharat Electronics (BEL).

As per the order details, Data Patterns India will supply radar electronics to BEL for a total contract size of ₹585.76 crore, as the firm aims to fulfil the order in the specified time period as per the contract.

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (PV) stock gained before falling to the red zone on August 21, as investors focused on the company’s latest price hike update across its cars and SUV portfolio, effective from the beginning of September 2026.

As per the latest NSE filing, Tata Motors PV will increase its prices across both its internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicle (EV) segments by up to ₹25,000 per unit, effective from Sptember 1, 2026.

“The extent of the price increase will vary across models and variants, ensuring that the overall value proposition of each offering is maintained,” the company informed the stock exchanges ahead of Friday’s opening bell.

The automaker’s price increase move comes right before the upcoming festive season, during which auto sector companies record higher sales and revenue growth due to the elevated demand in the market.

Shares of Welspun Corp rallied as much as 16.9% to hit a 52-week high of ₹2,345 per unit on the NSE on Friday as the company secured a record order.

The company, in its filing to exchanges, said it has secured the largest single order in its history — valued at approx $1.8 billion (~₹17,200 Crore) — for the supply of pipes from its manufacturing facility in the United States of America.

“This record-breaking order is the single largest ever awarded to the Company and marks a defining milestone in its global growth trajectory, reaffirming its leadership position as a trusted, large-scale partner to the global energy and infrastructure sector,” the company said.

The order will be executed between FY 2027-28 & FY 2028-29.

ICICI Bank’s stock was trading in positive territory on Friday, as its board of directors, after its meeting on Friday, August 21, approved increasing the overseas borrowing limit to $5 billion, according to an exchange filing.

This increased limit of $5 billion is expected to provide ICICI Bank with higher flexibility and enable the lender to raise more funds from the foreign markets through the several debt instruments mentioned above.

JBM Auto shares soared 10% to touch an intraday high of ₹685 apiece on Friday, August 21, after a report suggested that Bain Capital would pick up a minority stake in the firm.

The US-based PE firm is looking to invest up to ₹2,850 crore in the JBM unit, though negotiations are underway to finalise the size of the stake and deal structure, the report said.

The stock exchanges have sought clarification from JBM Auto with reference to the development. The reply is, however, awaited.

Saatvik Green Energy stock advanced as much as 8% to touch an intraday high of ₹433.55 per equity share on Friday, August 21, a day after the company said it has secured a new order. The order, which involves the supply of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to an independent power producer and EPC player, is expected to be executed by March 2027.

The commercial order is worth ₹190 crore and will be supplied by Saatvik Solar Industries Private Limited, a material subsidiary of the company.

RailTel Corporation of India shares surged as much as 4% to hit an intraday high of ₹291.75 per unit on the NSE, after the company said it has bagged an order from Western Coalfields.

Worth ₹164.79 crore, the order involves setting up an MPLS VPN network for WCL on a rental basis for a period of 60 months.

The domestic order is expected to be completed by September 20, 2031.