As the curtains draw on 2025, the Indian stock market has once again proven its mettle. Despite global headwinds and a tech sector slump, the Nifty 50 managed to end the year on a resilient note. If 2024 was about "stability," 2025 was the year of "Domestic Dominance."

Here is the Lekha Jokha (account) of how the heavyweights performed and what shaped the markets this year.

The Nifty 50 index navigated a turbulent year, eventually closing with a respectable ~10-12% annual gain. The year was defined by a massive tug-of-war: while Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained cautious due to global interest rate shifts, the Indian retail investor—powered by record-breaking SIP inflows—kept the floor from falling.

Looking at the year-end heatmap, the performance divergence across sectors is striking.

Automobiles & Consumer Durables: This was undoubtedly the year of the "Wheels." Maruti Suzuki (+55.10%) and Eicher Motors (+51.49%) delivered multibagger-like returns as rural demand surged and EV infrastructure matured.

Banking & NBFCs: The backbone of the index remained strong. While SBI (+24.81%) and HDFC Bank (+11.98%) provided stability, the real fireworks came from Shriram Finance (+71.88%) and Bajaj Finance (+43.64%), benefiting from the credit boom in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

Telecommunications: Bharti Airtel (+33.01%) continued its dream run, fueled by average revenue per user (ARPU) growth and the massive adoption of 5G services.

Information Technology (IT): A sea of red dominated this sector. TCS (-22.46%), Infosys (-14.63%), and HCL Tech (-15.24%) struggled as global enterprise spending slowed down and AI-led transitions created temporary uncertainty in traditional business models.

Consumer Non-Durables: Large-cap FMCG players like ITC (-10.77%) saw profit booking as investors rotated capital into high-growth sectors like Auto and Manufacturing.

What actually moved the needle this year?

The 2025 heatmap tells a story of a maturing market. We are no longer a "one-sector" wonder. The weakness in IT—once the darling of the index—was almost entirely offset by the explosive growth in domestic consumption and manufacturing.