Financial stocks led Indian shares higher early on Friday, setting the blue-chip indexes on course for their first week of gains in three, as a slide in commodity prices tempered inflation fears.
The NSE Nifty 50 index rose 147.60 or 0.95 per cent to 15,704.25 , while the S&P BSE Sensex climbed 489.69 or 0.95 per cent to 52,755.49 . If gains hold, the blue-chip indexes are set to post weekly gains of over 2.5% each.
The Nifty Bank index rose as much as 1.7 per cent, led by a 3.7 per cent jump in private-sector lender IndusInd Bank.
Oil explorer ONGC climbed up to 4.6 per cent after it said its unit made a new oil discovery in Colombia.