Stocks to watch on January 02, 2026: Indian equity markets kicked off the first trading session of the New Year on a muted note, ending the day largely flat. Going ahead, analysts believe the Nifty is
likely to gradually break out of its ongoing consolidation phase.
According to Ajit Mishra, SVP–Research at Religare Broking, a sustained move above the 26,200 mark could open the door for an upside towards the 26,500–26,700 range in the near term. He advised traders to maintain a positive bias and follow a buy-on-dips strategy, with a preference for banking, auto and metal stocks, while adhering to disciplined risk management.
Sapphire Foods, Devyani International
Sapphire Foods India is set to merge into Devyani International. Under the proposed transaction, Devyani will issue 177 shares for every 100 shares of Sapphire and expects annual synergies of ₹210–225 crore from the second full year of operations of the merged entity. Group company Arctic International will acquire around 18.5% of Sapphire Foods’ equity from existing promoters, with an option to assign the stake to a mutually agreed financial investor. The merger comes at a time when fast-food franchisees in India are grappling with slowing same-store sales and margin pressures amid high living costs.
Vodafone Idea
Vodafone Idea said it has received a GST order confirming a penalty of ₹637.9 crore along with applicable tax demand and interest. The order has been passed by the Office of the Additional Commissioner, Central GST, Ahmedabad South, under Section 74 of the CGST Act, 2017. The company said it does not agree with the order and will explore appropriate legal remedies.
ITC
Shares of ITC will remain in focus after plunging nearly 10% on Thursday, marking the stock’s sharpest single-day fall in almost six years. The decline followed a finance ministry notification raising excise duties on cigarettes to ₹2,050–₹8,500 per 1,000 sticks, depending on length, effective February 1. The higher excise duty, in addition to the existing 40% GST, has sparked concerns over potential volume impact.
HUDCO
State-owned Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) said it sanctioned loans worth over ₹46,000 crore during the third quarter of the current fiscal. Total loan sanctions during April–December of FY26 stood at ₹1.39 lakh crore, the company said in a regulatory filing.
Tata Steel
Tata Steel CEO and Managing Director T V Narendran said steel prices in India touched their lowest levels in the past five years during 2025, despite strong domestic demand and supply. Speaking at a New Year event, he noted that the year was challenging due to rising global trade disruptions and protectionist measures adopted by several countries.
Zomato
Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal said Zomato and Blinkit achieved record delivery volumes on Wednesday, processing over 7.5 million orders in a single day. In a post on X, he said the platforms collectively served more than 6.3 million customers through about 4.5 lakh delivery partners, even as calls for strikes by delivery workers circulated in recent days.
Kotak Mahindra Bank
Paritosh Kashyap, Whole-time Director and Executive Director at Kotak Mahindra Bank, said the RBI’s regulatory approach has consistently focused on ease of doing business and improving customer experience. Speaking to The Financial Express, he said the bank remains focused on SME lending, transaction banking, customer service and retail assets, with SME and transaction banking expected to drive the next phase of growth.
TVS Motor
TVS Motor ended 2025 as the market leader in India’s electric two-wheeler segment, with a 26% market share in December. The company reported a 44% year-on-year jump in electric scooter sales to 25,039 units during the month, according to Vahan data. Its market share rose from 24% in December 2024, and the iQube maker led the E2W segment in eight of the 12 months in 2025.
Bharat Electronics
Bharat Electronics (BEL) said it has received additional orders worth ₹569 crore since its last disclosure on December 29. The orders include communication equipment, medical electronics, instant fire detection and suppression systems, upgrades, spares and services. The company did not disclose the names of the customers.
Ola Electric
Ola Electric announced an expansion supported by higher service capacity under its in-app Hyperservice initiative. The company said it registered 9,020 units in December, taking its month-on-month market share to 9.3%, compared with 7.2% in November 2025. Its market share for the second half of December rose to nearly 12%, indicating improving demand.
Britannia Industries
Britannia Industries disclosed that it has received an order from the Office of the Principal Commissioner of CGST & Central Excise, Chennai North Commissionerate. The order pertains to FY2018–19 to FY2023–24 and alleges incorrect availment of input tax credit. The total tax demand stands at ₹108.50 crore, along with an equivalent penalty and applicable interest.
RailTel Corporation
RailTel Corporation of India said it has received a Letter of Acceptance from the Assam Health Infrastructure Development & Management Society for a project involving procurement, implementation and maintenance of a Hospital Management Information System. The domestic order is valued at ₹567 crore and is scheduled to be executed by January 31, 2032.
RBL Bank
RBL Bank informed that its request to temporarily cap foreign shareholding at 24% of total equity on a fully diluted basis has not been acceded to by the RBI and the Government of India under existing rules. The update relates to the proposed preferential investment by Emirates NBD Bank.
NMDC
NMDC reported iron ore production of 5.40 million tonnes in December 2025, up 14.7% from 4.71 million tonnes a year earlier. Production included 1.52 MT from Karnataka and 3.88 MT from Chhattisgarh. Sales during the month rose to 4.64 MT from 3.91 MT in the year-ago period, with Chhattisgarh contributing 3.21 MT and Karnataka 1.43 MT.
Disclaimer: The views and investment tips by experts in this News18.com report are their own and not those of the website or its management. Users are advised to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
