Mumbai, Nov 16 (IANS): Broadly positive Asian markets along with healthy macro-economic trade data and low crude oil prices buoyed the key Indian equity indices during the early morning trade session on Friday.

Sector-wise, healthy buying was witnessed in IT, pharma, banking and automobile stocks, whereas selling pressure occurred in oil and gas and metals scrips.

The Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P BSE Sensex, which had closed at 35,260.54 on Thursday, opened higher at 35,398.70.

At 9.30 a.m., it traded at 35,376.18 up by 115.64 points, or 0.33 per cent.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-scrip Nifty, which had closed at 10,616.70 points on Thursday, quoted at 10,641.90, up by 25.2 points or 0.24 per cent.

On Thursday, healthy foreign fund inflows along with low crude oil prices and a strengthened rupee guided the key Indian equity indices to close on a positive note.

Consequently, the Sensex closed 118.55 points or 0.34 per cent higher, at 35,260.54 points.

The NSE Nifty50 closed 40.40 points or 0.38 per cent higher at 10,616.70.