New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- Indian equities closed higher on Wednesday, with Nifty 50 adding 91 points or 0.36%) to settle at 25,330 and Sensex advancing more than 300 points to end above 82,600. Market sentiment was buoyed by optimism around progress in India-US trade discussions and rising expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut, which supported risk appetite globally.

Gains were led by IT, Banking, and Auto stocks, while defensives such as FMCG and Pharma lagged. Market breadth remained constructive, with more stocks advancing than declining, reflecting a reasonably broad-based rally across sectors.

The Indian markets ended the session on a positive note, with Nifty 50 closing at 25,330.25, a gain of 0.36%, or 91.15 points. Additionall...