Indian markets were trading positive on Friday and NSE Nifty touched all-time highs on investor optimism. Indian stocks were also trading positive as there were reports about progress in India-US trade talks. Asian Paints, Bharti Airtel, HUL, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and Tech Mahindra were among major gainers. Overall markets are trading positive and festive mood is keeping investors positive. TopNews Team has reviewed technical levels for some of the buzzing stocks.

Asian Paints Soars on Global Ambition and Sector Tailwinds

Asian Paints has raced ahead in the limelight with a recent surge of more than 8%, including a substantial 4.89% jump on October 17, 2025, peaking intraday at ₹2,532. The primary accelerator: the launch of commercial production at its white cement facility in Fujairah, UAE, which began operating on October 12. This plant, with an initial annual capacity of 265,000 tons, signifies the company's assertive international push—a move that has resonated strongly with the market.

Investor bullishness is also propelled by upcoming catalysts, notably the anticipated Q2 FY26 results and a possible interim dividend, both set for November 12. Meanwhile, the entire paint industry has received a lift from softening crude oil prices, easing one of the sector’s most critical raw material pressures. Asian Paints and rival Kansai Nerolac each rallied as much as 5% on these commodity tailwinds, further buoyed by the expectation of robust festival season demand.

Brokerage sentiment reinforces this positive outlook. ICICI Securities recently affirmed an “ADD” stance with a target price of ₹2,650, citing sustained demand, nimble margin management thanks to lower crude costs, and robust management execution. Despite a marginal uptick in input prices such as crude and HDPE, Asian Paints’ premium product skew and efficiency measures have insulated its profitability.

The only blemish in the narrative is a regulatory one: the Bombay High Court’s rejection of Asian Paints’ effort to halt a CCI probe into alleged market abuse. This legal backdrop remains largely overshadowed by fundamental momentum, with investors largely unfazed due to the company’s operational strength.

Complementing these strategic advances are internal management moves, including the elevation of Ashish Rae and Gagandeep Singh Kalsi to lead sales, marketing, and décor business units from January 2025. These appointments are designed to strengthen Asian Paints’ competitive edge in premium market segments and unlock fresh growth initiatives.

Overall, the tandem effect of global expansion, sector-wide input cost moderation, proactive management strategy, and enthusiastic investor sentiment continues to support a robust share price outlook for Asian Paints. The focus from here will be not only on upcoming quarterly performance but also on regulatory developments as the company continues to scale.

Bharti Airtel: Forging the Future of Indian Telecom Through Partnerships and Technology

October 2025 has been a month of remarkable momentum for Bharti Airtel, defined by major technology alliances designed to secure its pole position in India’s evolving telecom and digital services market. Trading near the ₹2,000 mark with a stable one-month return of 1.44%, Airtel stands out for both operational consistency and forward-thinking innovation.

A flagship move comes via a deepened partnership with IBM, announced on October 15, to turbocharge the Airtel Cloud platform. By integrating IBM’s advanced enterprise technology stack, Airtel aims to tap into surging domestic demand for transformational cloud solutions, targeting opportunities in BFSI, logistics, and the emerging digital-first economy.

Simultaneously, Airtel is breaking new ground through its alliance with Google to inaugurate India’s inaugural mega Artificial Intelligence hub and data center in Visakhapatnam. This initiative sets the stage for revolutionary advances in smart infrastructure and connected devices, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape in both technology and telecommunications.

The company’s technology playbook doesn’t stop there. In partnership with Swift Navigation, Airtel has introduced India’s first AI/ML cloud-based spatial precision platform, initially launched in the National Capital Region. This service offers centimeter-level accuracy, unlocking market applications from intelligent tolling to autonomous vehicles and agriculture, and further cementing Airtel as a central enabler in India’s digital transformation.

On the financial front, Airtel’s completion of all spectrum prepayments from 2016, totaling ₹3,626 crore, has removed a significant interest drag of 8.65%. This fortifies the balance sheet and leaves more headroom for investment in growth and innovation.

Market experts remain optimistic about the stock’s trajectory. Analysts from ET Now highlight strong upside potential, anchored by rising data monetization, stable ARPU metrics, and the digital ecosystem expansion. Bharti Airtel, though not a part of the recent Nifty 50 reshuffle, stands as a core conviction pick among large-cap blue chips, according to Prabhudas Lilladher Capital.

Investors are advised to monitor the pace of Airtel’s digital business ramp-up and ongoing spectrum cost management, as the company faces ongoing competition from other telecom giants.

Max Healthcare: Ambitious Capex and Nifty 50 Boost Fuel Sector Leadership

Max Healthcare has rapidly risen as a dominant force in India’s hospital and healthcare services industry, recently crossing the ₹1 lakh crore market capitalization threshold and staking its claim as the nation’s most valuable healthcare firm. Two defining growth imperatives—aggressive capacity expansion and Nifty 50 index inclusion—are drawing substantial institutional flows and market recognition.

The company is embarking on a ₹5,000 crore capital expenditure drive over the next 3–4 years, with the goal of lifting bed capacity from 5,000 currently to 6,500 by FY25 and further to 9,200 by FY28. This investment, sourced almost entirely internally, reflects a deliberate strategy to transform Max from a metro-centric operation to a genuinely pan-India provider. Notable expansion is underway across emerging urban centers such as Pune, Lucknow, and Nagpur, as well as strategic plans for Eastern and Southern regions.

Max’s elevation into the Nifty 50 index in October 2025 has further turbocharged its momentum, triggering an estimated $372 million in passive inflows as index funds and ETFs rebalance. The result: Max Healthcare has outperformed peers, ranking among the top gainers on October 14.

Analyst sentiment remains overwhelmingly favorable. Brokerage notes describe Max as a “super compounder,” citing network expansion, ample internal funding, aging demographics, and increasing penetration of health insurance and government support as core sector tailwinds. Earlier research from UBS continues to forecast an additional 30% upside, with these growth drivers only reinforced by recent milestones.

Under the continued stewardship of Chairman and MD Abhay Soi, Max remains committed to recycling profits back into asset growth, cementing its pan-India playbook. The stock’s strong performance post-Nifty inclusion is a clear market endorsement of this blueprint.

Potential risks are mainly centered around the execution of such a sizable capex cycle, possible margin pressures during rapid expansion, and greater regulatory scrutiny as the company’s footprint grows. However, the essential fundamentals and index benchmark inclusion position Max Healthcare for ongoing outperformance in the near term.

Expert Views and Analyst Ratings: October Dashboard

Investor Takeaways and Strategic Implications

For market participants tracking these leaders, the weeks ahead are pivotal. Both Asian Paints and Max Healthcare face critical Q2 earnings releases, offering the clearest read on demand conditions and execution progress. Bharti Airtel’s ongoing developments around cloud and AI commercialization, along with sustained digital monetization, warrant close observation.

From a risk perspective, regulatory fronts remain active—be it the CCI probe into Asian Paints or compliance challenges facing Max’s expansion. Continuing volatility in raw material prices is another essential variable that could affect margins across the board.

For research-driven investors, these evolving stories form a rich landscape for both technical and fundamental analysis. Asian Paints epitomizes disciplined global expansion and locked-in operational leverage. Bharti Airtel is fast becoming the gold standard for tech-enabled telco transformation. Max Healthcare represents the performance uplift achievable through scale, capital discipline, and institutional visibility.