Mumbai, Apr 29 (IANS): A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets witnessed choppy trading Monday, ahead of the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy review later this week.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the positive at 19,306.67 points, was trading at 19,318.77 points in the afternoon session, up 0.17 percent or 32.05 points from its previous day close at 19,286.72 points.

The benchmark index was range-bound. It touched a high of 19,387.90 points and low of 19,284.40 points in the intra-day.

The market witnessed choppy trading ahead of the monetary policy review by the central bank. The RBI is scheduled to announce its annual monetary policy review for the financial year 2013-14 on May 3.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was trading 0.14 percent or 8 points higher at 5,879.45 points.

There was good buying support in consumer durables, power, realty and IT stocks.

The BSE consumer durables index was up 1.77 percent. Power index rose 1.46 percent, realty index advanced 1.41 percent and IT index was trading 1.10 percent higher.

Hero MotoCorp, up 2.70 percent at Rs.1640; Wipro, up 2.39 percent at Rs.338; BHEL, up 1.46 percent at Rs.191.65; and Sterlite Inds, up 1.34 percent at Rs.90.90 were among the major Sensex gainers.

Major Sensex losers were: Jindal Steel, down 5.47 percent at Rs.297.50; Coal India, down 1.54 percent at Rs.314.20; Bharti Airtel, down 1.22 percent at Rs.314.50; and HDFC, down 1.08 percent at Rs.863.15.