Update:
The benchmark indices rose to a record high on Thursday, led by finance stocks and market heavyweight Reliance Industries, as upbeat coronavirus vaccine developments fuelled risk appetite globally.
The NSE Nifty 50 index climbed 0.45 per cent to 13,173.15 and was on course for a third straight session of gains, while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex was up 0.39 per cent at 44,792.01.
Boosting sentiment was news that Britain became the first Western country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine, with doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available for those at high risk starting next week.
The Nifty Bank Index climbed nearly 1 per cent after sliding 1.2 per cent in the previous session. Top private-sector lender HDFC Bank was the biggest boost to the indexes, rising as much as 1.6 per cent.
Reliance Industries rose nearly 1 per cent to its highest in more than a week.
Data released late Wednesday showed India's trade deficit in November narrowed 21.93 per cent from a year earlier, as imports fell sharply compared to the drop in exports.
Opening bell:
Sensex jumped 176.87 points to 44,794.91 in opening session. Meanwhile, Nifty rose 59.05 points to 13,172.80.