New Delhi, June 17 -- Defence stocks in India witnessed a sharp rally on Tuesday as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran entered its fifth day, heightening geopolitical tensions. The Nifty India Defence Index climbed over 1.6% during the session, breaching the 9,000 mark.

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders share price emerged as the top performer on the index, surging more than 5%. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers shares jumped over 4%, while Data Patterns (India) shares advanced more than 3%. Other major gainers included Bharat Dynamics, Cochin Shipyard, Solar Industries India, BEML, and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), which rose between 1% and 2%.

In contrast, Zen Technologies, Mishra Dhatu Nigam, and Astra Microwave Products shares ...