Amid falling Covid numbers, Sensex and Nifty hit historic highs taking positive cues from global markets, even as the rupee fell 22 paise to close at 73.29 against the dollar, at the end of trading on Monday.

While the 30-share BSE index rose 76.77 points or 0.15 per cent higher at 52,551.53, the broader NSE Nifty also advanced 12.50 points or 0.08 per cent to its new record of 15,811.85.

Reliance Industries was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising around 1.5 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finance, ONGC, Infosys, PowerGrid, L&T and IndusInd Bank, while Kotak Bank, NTPC, HDFC, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Auto and Maruti were among laggards.

The worst performer was Adani Group companies, which witnessed a massive 25 per cent drubbing in morning trade on Monday, amid reports that National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) has frozen FPIs accounts that have holdings in these firms.

Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Tokyo and Seoul ended on a positive note. Markets in China and Hong Kong were closed on account of a local holiday. Equities in Europe were trading with gains in mid-session deals.

International oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.94 per cent higher at $73.37 per barrel.

India recorded a single-day rise of 70,421 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest in 74 days, taking the country’s infection tally to 2,95,10,410, while the count of active cases fell below 10 lakhs after over two months, according to a Union health ministry update.