At 9, April 8 -- Indian equity benchmarks surged over 3 per cent in early trade on Wednesday, with the Sensex jumping more than 2,500 points and the Nifty rising over 770 points, driven by a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran and a sharp decline in oil prices.

45 am, the BSE Sensex soared 2,583 points to 77,200, while the Nifty 50 climbed 776 points to 23,899.

The rally marked one of the strongest single-session gains in recent months.

This comes after benchmark indices extended gains for a fourth consecutive session on Tuesday.

Markets reacted positively to improving global sentiment after the US and Iran reached a temporary ceasefire, easing fears of further escalation in Middle East tensions and boosting investor confidence...