Mumbai, Mar 10 (IANS): Positive Asian indices and healthy buying in capital goods, IT and automobile stocks lifted the Indian equity markets during the early morning trade session on Friday.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) edged up by 21.50 points or 0.24 per cent to 8,948.50 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 29,006 points, traded at 29,002.33 points (at 10.05 a.m.) -- up 73.20 points or 0.25 per cent from the previous close at 28,929.13 points.

The Sensex has so far touched a high of 29,076.63 points and a low of 28,974.54 points during the intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of bulls -- with 1,296 advances and 646 declines.

On Thursday, the benchmark indices closed on a flat-to-positive note on the back of fresh inflows of foreign funds.

The NSE Nifty inched up 2.70 points or 0.03 per cent to close at 8,927 points, and the BSE Sensex was up 27.19 points or 0.09 per cent at 28,929.13 points.