New Delhi, March 22 -- The Indian stock market benchmarks, the BSE Sensex and the Nifty 50, closed higher on Friday, March 20, supported by selective buying following sharp losses in the previous session.

The Sensex surged over 1,000 points during intraday trade but pared gains to end 326 points, or 0.44%, higher at 74,532.96, as investors booked profits amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. Meanwhile, the Nifty 50 advanced 112 points, or 0.49%, to settle at 23,114.50.

"The Nifty 50 ended the week on a slightly negative note, declining 0.16% to close at 23,114. Despite this mild weakness at the index level, sectoral buying interest remained visible across new-age stocks, textiles, automobiles, telecom, and cement, reflecting underlyi...