Mumbai, Mar 2 (IANS): Taking a cue from global markets, the key Indian equity market indices opened higher on Thursday.

The Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which had closed at 28,984.49 points on Wednesday, opened higher at 29,117.38 points. Minutes into trading, it was quoting at 29,103.11 points, up by 118.62 points, or 0.41 per cent.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 51-scrip Nifty, which had closed at 8,945.80 points, was quoting at 8,984.50 points, up by 38.70 points or 0.43 per cent.

On Wednesday, positive domestic macro-economic data, coupled with healthy global cues and upbeat quarterly automobile results pulled the indices of Indian equities markets up.

India's gross domestic product (GDP) for the third quarter of 2016-17 Fiscal ended December, which recorded a growth of seven per cent, and expansion in the manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) to 50.7 in February, kept investors' sentiments buoyed.

The key indices closed with gains of more than half a per cent each, as healthy buying was witnessed in stocks of metal, banking and healthcare stocks.

The Sensex surged by 241.49 points or 0.84 per cent at the Wednesday's closing. In the day's trade, the barometer 30-scrip sensitive index had touched a high of 29,029.17 points and a low of 28,824.17 points. The Nifty, too was up by 66.20 points or 0.75 per cent.

On Thursday, Asian indices were showing a positive trend. Japan's Nikkei 225 was trading in green, up by 1.10 per cent, Hang Seng up by 0.43 per cent while South Korea's Kospi was in green, up by 0.48 per cent. China's Shanghai Composite index was quoting in green, up by 0.01 per cent.

On a positive note, Nasdaq closed in green, up by 1.33 per cent while FTSE 100 was also up by 1.62 per cent at the closing on Wednesday.