Mumbai, March 9 (IANS): Indian equity markets provisionally closed on a flat-to-positive note on Thursday as healthy buying support was witnessed in automobile, banking and consumer durables stocks.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) inched up 2.70 points or 0.03 per cent to 8,927 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 28,909.70 points, provisionally closed at 28,929.13 points (at 3.30 p.m.) - up 27.19 points or 0.09 per cent from the previous close at 28,901.94 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 28,986.72 points and a low of 28,815.02 points in intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of bears -- with 1,622 declines and 1,179 advances.

On Wednesday, the benchmark indices closed lower on the back of a marginally weak rupee.

The NSE Nifty fell by 22.60 points or 0.25 per cent, to close at 8,924.30 points, and the BSE Sensex was down 96.77 points or 0.33 per cent at 28,902.79 points.