Mumbai: A benchmark index of Indian equities markets was trading 180 points up in the late afternoon trade.

Erasing its early day gains on profit booking, the 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,860.16 points, was ruling at 16,820.19 points, 1.08 percent or 180.37 points up from its previous day's close at 16,639.82 points.

The BSE metal index was up 189.52 points, followed by FMCG index, up 67.02 points and IT, up 44.44 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was ruling 1.04 percent up at 5,095.55 points.

The major Sensex gainers were Sterlite Inds, up 3.48 percent at 101.35; Tata Motors, up 3.22 percent at 211.45; Tata Steel, up 3.21 percent at 396.50; Hindalco Inds, up 2.90 percent at 117.20 and HDFC Bank, up 2.80 percent at 582.35.

The main losers were SBI, down 2.09 percent at 1,974.90; Hero MotoCorp, down 1.77 percent at 2,003; BHEL, down 1.72 percent at 208.70; Cipla, down 0.44 percent at 326.70 and Bajaj Auto, down 0.22 percent at 1,579.55.

Other Asian markets were in the green after the American markets closed over 1 percent up overnight Thursday, as European policy makers said they would preserve the euro.

Japan's Nikkei was up 1.46 percent while Shanghai's composite index ruled 0.13 percent higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was also up 2.02 percent.

European markets turned red. France's CAC was down 0.27 percent and so was Germany's DAX, down 1.03 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 was trading 0.39 percent lower.