The market is geared for a firm start on Wednesday mirroring positive Asian markets. Private sector bank HDFC Bank unveils FY 2012 results today, 18 April 2012. HCL Technologies also unveils Q3 March 2012 results today, 18 April 2012.

GAIL (India) reportedly plans to set up India's first 4 million tonne capacity floating liquefied natural gas terminal off the Andhra coast with an investment of about Rs 2,000 crore.

Key benchmark indices settled at nearly two weeks high on Tuesday, 17 April 2012 after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut interest rates for the first time in three years to give a boost to flagging economic growth. The BSE Sensex was up 206.99 points or 1.21% to 17,357.94, its highest closing level since 4 April 2012.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its annual monetary policy for 2012-13 on Tuesday, 17 April 2012 cut repo rate, by a sharper-than-expected 50 basis points to give a boost to flagging economic growth. The RBI, however, warned that there is limited scope for further rate cuts. The RBI left unchanged the cash reserve ratio (CRR), the share of deposits that banks must hold with the central bank, at 4.75%, in line with expectations, after cutting it by 125 basis points since January 2012 to ease tight market liquidity.

Asian markets rose on Wednesday after firm demand at Spanish debt sales, positive U.S. corporate earnings boosted investor confidence. Key benchmark indices in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan were up by between 0.15% to 1.67%.

US stocks edged higher on Tuesday after Coca-Cola led a round of strong earnings and concerns over Europe's debt crisis seen easing. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 194.13 points, or 1.50%, to 13,115.54. The S&P 500 index gained 21.21 points, or 1.55%, to 1,390.78. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 54.42 points, or 1.82%, to 3,042.82.