India, Oct. 1 -- Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty opened lower on Thursday as continued foreign fund outflows weighed on investor sentiment, although easing crude oil prices provided some relief.

The BSE Sensex opened at 72,192.89, down 287.40 points, or 0.40%, while the NSE Nifty opened at 22,543.70, lower by 76.75 points, or 0.34%.

GIFT Nifty futures were at 22,570 points as of 7:38 am, indicating a negative start for the benchmark Nifty 50, which closed at 22,620.45 on Wednesday, according to figures cited in a Reuters report.

Foreign investors sold Indian shares worth Rs.10,148 crore ($1.06 billion) on Wednesday, as per provisional data. They have offloaded about $3.6 billion in the previous five sessions, taking their yea...