Mumbai: A benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed flat -- up 46 points or 0.22 percent.

Interest sensitive stocks like banks and automobile gained amidst hopes that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will maintain key lending rates in its upcoming policy review Jan 28.

The 30-scrip S&P Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 21,237.96 points, closed at 21,251.12 points, up 46.07 points or 0.22 percent from its previous day's close at 21,205.05 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 21,302.52 points and a low of 21,189.20 intra-day.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed trade 9.85 points or 0.16 percent up at 6,313.80 points.

In trade, the S&P BSE IT index was down 66.18 points followed by oil and gas index lost 46.24 points and technology, entertainment and media (TECk) index was 33.41 points down.

However, the S&P bank index was up 194.77 points, while automobile index gained 125.28 points and metal index was up by 74.18 points.

The major gainers were: ICICI Bank, up 3.32 percent at 1,078.80; Tata Motors, up 2.68 percent at 384.65; Tata Steel, up 2.39 percent at 383.70; Axis Bank, up 2.37 percent at 1,189.10; and Sesa Sterlite, up 1.56 percent at 208.70.

The main losers were: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), down 2.46 percent at 2,280.65; Coal India, down 2.45 percent at 263.10; BHEL, down 1.90 percent at 170.15; Gail India, down 1.59 percent at 343.90; and Sun Pharma, down 1.43 percent at 580.90.

Among the Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.99 percent up, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.45 percent. China's Shanghai Composite Index was marginally higher by 0.86 percent.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 was trading 0.12 percent up. However, Germany's DAX Index was higher by 0.35 percent and the French CAC 40 Index edged up by 0.28 percent.