New Delhi, March 31 (IANS): Key Indian stock indices were quoting higher on Tuesday on positive cues from the global markets with stocks of companies in the oil and gas, metals and power sectors catching the investors' fancy.

The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) opened higher above the psychologically-important 28,000-point mark at 28,069.85 points and soon moved higher at 28,107.11 points.

Around an hour in trading, this key index was ruling at 28,041.05 points, with a gain of 65.19 points or 0.23 percent, over the previous close at 27,975.86 points, data with the exchange showed.

The situation was similar at the National Stock Exchange. The broader, 50-share CNX Nifty was ruling at 8,513.15 points, with a gain of 20.85 points, or 0.25 percent.

Sesa Sterlite was leading the gainers among the 30 shares of the Sensex at the BSE, up Rs.4.70 at Rs.193.60, while at the bottom was the state-run National Thermal Power Corp, down Rs.2.35 at Rs.145.15.

As many as 18 out of the 30 Sensex shares were in the green, while 12 were trading lower.

On Monday, after eight consecutive sessions when the markets either ended flat or in the red, the 30-scrip Sensex had gained over 500 points, or nearly two percent, closing at 27,975.86 points -- up 517.22 points or 1.88 percent from the previous day's close at 27,458.64 points.