S&P = Standard and Poors
CNX = CRISIL NSE IndeX
Nifty = Rhymes with Fifty (50)

The Standard & Poor's CRISIL NSE Index 50 (S&P CNX Nifty nicknamed Nifty 50 or simply Nifty) is the leading index for large companies on the National Stock Exchange of India.

The Nifty is a diversified 50 stock index accounting for 22 sectors of the economy. It is used for the following purposes:

• Benchmarking fund portfolios
• Index based derivatives
• Index funds

Nifty is owned and managed by India Index Services and Products Ltd. (IISL), which is a joint venture between NSE and CRISIL. IISL is an Indian company focused upon the index as a core product with a marketing and licensing agreement with Standard & Poor's.

The S&P CNX Nifty covers 22 sectors of the Indian economy and offers investment managers exposure to the Indian market in one portfolio. The S&P CNX Nifty stocks represent about 60% of the total market capitalization of the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

The base period for the S&P CNX Nifty index is November 3, 1995, which marked the completion of one year of operations of NSE's Capital Market Segment. The base value of the index has been set at 1000, and a base capital of Rs 2.06 trillion (Rupees).