New Delhi, July 17 -- Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Friday, supported by gains in information technology heavyweights, as investors cheered Tech Mahindra's better-than-expected quarterly performance while positioning ahead of earnings from several blue-chip companies.

The Nifty 50 advanced 0.38% to 24,166.50, while the BSE Sensex climbed 0.47% to 77,543.10 in early trade.

Market participants remained focused on the ongoing June-quarter earnings season, with Reliance Industries gaining 1.1% ahead of its financial results due after market hours. Banking heavyweights HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank also traded around 0.7% higher as investors awaited their earnings announcements over the weekend.

Sectoral performance was mixed, with e...