The path ahead remains shadowed by ongoing uncertainty about the outlook for further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and incoming president Donald Trump's actions on issues like taxes and tariffs, ...

Investors were also keeping high hopes from quarterly earnings of heavyweights Reliance Industries Ltd, Infosys Ltd and Axis Bank Ltd scheduled for later in the day.

Spot gold was steady at $2,695.84 an ounce, having earlier in the day reached its highest level since December 12.