The Indian benchmark indices surged during a special one-hour Diwali Muhurat trading session on Wednesday between 5.30 pm and 6.30 pm. The BSE Sensex rose 245.77 points on the first day of Samvat 2075 – the best result on Muhurat trading day in a decade – to close at 35,237.68. The NSE Nifty 50 gained 68.40 points to end at 10,598.40.

The surge was the result of gains in automobile and information technology stocks, Business Standard reported. A good start for global markets, helped by the Democratic Party’s performance in the United States midterm elections, buoyed the Indian markets.

The biggest gainers on the Sensex were Mahindra & Mahindra, Infosys, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto and Hero Motocorp. The biggest losers were Bharti Airtel and Axis Bank.

On the Nifty, the stocks of Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Infosys, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Indian Oil Corporation were the top gainers. Zee Entertainment and Axis Bank saw their shares decline the most.