Will India-US trade deal boost sentiments on Dalal Street? Market expert answers

The recently signed India–US trade deal is expected to lift market sentiment and boost export-focused industries, according to Avinash Gorakshakar, Founder of Avinash Mentor Research. He said the agreement could act as an important trigger for both sectors and investor confidence in the coming months.

Calling the deal long-awaited, Gorakshakar said, “Now with the deal signed and import tariff coming down from 50% to 18%, it is going to create a lot of buzz and excitement and positivity for the export-oriented sector.” He added that industries such as automobiles, auto components, pharmaceuticals and textiles are likely to benefit the most.

He pointed out that the reduced duty structure makes India more competitive globally. “18% duty is really competitive and that clearly means more business could shift to India compared to China and other countries,” he said, adding that markets have broadly welcomed the development.

With the December-quarter earnings season nearly over, Gorakshakar expects attention to shift to foreign investor flows. “Post March, you could see a lot of FII inflows coming back, which will be a near-term trigger,” he said.

He believes this is a good phase to selectively accumulate quality stocks, especially in auto components, capital goods and hospitality, describing the current environment as a stock-picker’s market.