New Delhi, April 17 -- Indian equity benchmarks opened in the red on Friday, reflecting cautious investor sentiment amid mixed global cues, though markets showed signs of picking up pace shortly after the opening session.

The BSE SENSEX opened at 77,947.66 points, down by 41.02 points or 0.05 per cent at 9:17 am. Simultaneously, the NSE NIFTY 50 was recorded at 24,162.20 points, marking a decline of 34.55 points or 0.14 per cent.

As of early morning on Friday, Brent Crude was trading at USD 98.12, down by USD 1.27 (-1.28 per cent). Similarly, Crude Oil slipped to USD 93.41, a drop of USD 1.28 (-1.35 per cent), indicating a bearish trend for the session. In contrast, Gold continued its bullish run, trading at USD 4,795.95, up by USD 7.43...