Indian equity markets started Thursday's session on a firm footing, tracking strength across Asian and US markets. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex opened 142 points higher at 82,418, while the Nifty 50 began the day 73 points, or 0.3 per cent, up at 25,556.
In early trade, the Sensex touched a high of 82,579 after opening at 82,419. IT shares continued their upward momentum from Wednesday. The Nifty IT index rose about 1.5 per cent in early deals, with Persistent Systems and Tech Mahindra among the key gainers. Within the Sensex pack, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, HCL Technologies and TCS advanced in the range of 1-2 per cent. Bharat Electronics, Maruti and Trent were also among the notable movers.
Global cues remained supportive. Asian markets extended gains for a fourth straight session. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.1 per cent to a fresh record high. South Korea's Kospi climbed 1.65 per cent, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.8 per cent, also touching a record in early trade.
Overnight, Wall Street closed higher. The S&P 500 rose 0.81 per cent, the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.26 per cent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.63 per cent higher, led by technology stocks including Nvidia and Oracle.
The positive global momentum, along with renewed buying in IT shares, set the tone for the domestic market at the start of trade.
