The Indian equity benchmark indices opened higher on Thursday led by gains in metals and banking stocks amid positive global cues.

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At 9:15 am, the Sensex opened 0.64 percent, or 299.31 points, higher at 46,743.49, while the Nifty50 index opened at 13,672.15, up 71.05 points, or 0.52 percent.

Broader markets supported the rally with Nifty Smallcap100 and Nifty Midcap100 indices up 1.14 percent and 0.87 percent, respectively.

Barring Nifty IT, all other sectoral indices traded in the green with Nifty Metal, Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Auto, Nifty FMCG and Nifty Financial Services gaining the most.

ONGC, Tata Motors, Bharti Airtel, GAIL India and Coal India led gains among the Nifty50 constituents while Infosys, Wipro, Asian Paints and TCS were the only index losers.

Shares of Bharti Airtel gained over 2 percent after the company added 36.74 lakh users in October.

Vedanta stock price rallied more than 6 percent after it announced that Vedanta Holdings will buy up to 4.98 percent stake in the company at an indicative price of Rs 150-160 per share.

Globally, Asian shares and the British pound rose on Thursday ahead of the Christmas break, as Britain and the European Union closed in on a free-trade deal and investors placed bets on global economic recovery prospects, a Reuters report said.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.14 percent. Australian stocks advanced by 0.57 percent, while Tokyo shares rose 0.43 percent.

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