The climb, level by level
Nifty 50 stood at 891 when our daily record begins on 1 January 1999. It first closed at or above 1,000 on 1 March 1999 and at or above 25,000 on 1 August 2024. How long did each level take? The answer is not what a round-number list suggests.
| Nifty 50 level | First close at or above | Time since the previous level |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 1 March 1999 | from 891 on 1 January 1999 |
| 2,000 | 14 December 2004 | 5.8 years |
| 5,000 | 27 September 2007 | 2.8 years |
| 10,000 | 26 July 2017 | 9.8 years |
| 15,000 | 8 February 2021 | 3.5 years |
| 20,000 | 13 September 2023 | 2.6 years |
| 25,000 | 1 August 2024 | 11 months |
Each row is the first daily close at or above the level, not the first intraday touch, and not a promise that the level held: Nifty 50 has since closed below seven of these levels after first reaching them. The record starts on 1 January 1999 at 891.
Fastest and slowest legs
- Fastest: from 20,000 to 25,000 took 11 months (13 September 2023 to 1 August 2024).
- Slowest: from 5,000 to 10,000 took 9.8 years (27 September 2007 to 26 July 2017).
The legs are not equal in percentage terms. A step of 5,000 points is a far bigger move from a low base than from a high one, so the early legs that look quick in points were slow in percentage and the late ones the reverse. That is why a level-by-level table is a poor guide to the pace of the market.
Where it stands
The highest close on record is 26,329 on 2 January 2026. On 16 October 2026 Nifty 50 closed at 23,146, 12.1% below that peak and below the 25,000 level it first reached on 1 August 2024.
Reading the table
- Round numbers are a way to read history, not a signal. Nothing about 25,000 makes it more or less likely to hold than 25,001.
- Index levels also say nothing about value; the price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios do. See the Nifty 50 P/E post for where valuation stands.
- This is a price index, so dividends are not included.
More reading:
Source: NSE Nifty 50 daily closes, 1 January 1999 to 16 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Nifty 50 first close above 25,000?
On 1 August 2024, at 25,011.
How long did the Nifty 50 take to go from 10,000 to 20,000?
The first close at or above 10,000 was on 26 July 2017 and at or above 20,000 on 13 September 2023, 6.1 years later.
What is the Nifty 50's record close?
26,329 on 2 January 2026; on 16 October 2026 it closed 12.1% below that, at 23,146.
This is commentary on published data, not investment advice. WealthTicker is not a SEBI-registered adviser or distributor. Figures are WealthTicker’s own calculations from public data — AMFI’s fund NAVs and disclosures, NSE’s index and FII/DII files, and the fund houses’ monthly portfolios (how we calculate). They are as of the dates stated and can be revised by their source.
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