Sensex ends higher on Gujarat exit polls boost

Reuters
A broker laughs while speaking to a colleague, as they trade on their computer terminals at a stock brokerage firm in Mumbai, March 4, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade/Files

(Reuters) - Indian shares ended higher on Friday, led by banks, as early surveys forecast a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party in the key Gujarat state elections.

The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.65 percent at 33,462.97, while the broader NSE Nifty ended 0.79 percent higher at 10,333.25. Both the indexes rose over 0.6 percent in their second straight weekly gains.

The rupee strengthened to 64.15 versus the dollar from 64.34 on Thursday, while the benchmark 10-year bond yield eased to 7.12 percent

(Reporting by Arnab Paul in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)