New Delhi:
Indian equity benchmarks on Wednesday traded higher in opening deals led by gains in banking and pharma stocks.
Trends on the Nifty Futures on Singapore Exchange (SGX Nifty) indicated a higher start for the domestic indices.
Asian shares opened in positive territory even as global growth concerns and weak U.S. economic data weighed on Wall Street overnight.
Back home, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 284 points or 0.53 per cent to 54,337 in early trade, while the broader NSE Nifty moved 79 points or 0.49 per cent up to trade at 16,204.
Mid- and small-cap shares were trading on a strong note as Nifty Midcap 100 rose 0.26 per cent and small-cap gained 0.38 per cent.