Mumbai:Equity benchmarks began the trade on a positive note on Thursday, tracking a firm trend in global markets. The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 124.35 points to 61,634.93 in early trade. The broader NSE Nifty gained 38 points to 18,305.25. The BSE benchmark later quoted 248.22 points higher at 61,760.67 and the Nifty traded 75 points up at 18,342.25.
From the Sensex pack, HDFC Bank, HDFC, HCL Technologies, Power Grid, Mahindra & Mahindra, IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Finance were among the major winners. Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tata Steel and Bharti Airtel were the laggards. Elsewhere in Asia, markets in Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong were trading in the green, while Shanghai quoted lower.