Indian shares open 0.1pc higher

MUMBAI: Indian shares opened up 0.1 percent on Friday in a choppy market as investors awaited a speech from the US Federal Reserve chairman for clues on what steps the central bank will take to support the world's largest economy.

Ben Bernanke, scheduled to speak at 10 a.m. New York time (1400 GMT), is most likely to outline gradualist measures to help the US economy, which would disappoint those looking for dramatic action, such as a fresh round of asset purchases.

At 9:16 a.m. the 30-share BSE index was up 0.4 percent at 16,209.51 points, with 21 of its components rising.

The broader 50-share NSE index was also trading 0.4 percent higher at 4,857.80 points.

Copyright Reuters, 2011