Indian shares ended little changed on Thursday as gains in software makers following share buyback proposal by Infosys were tempered by selling in autos and bank stocks.
The S&P BSE Sensex edged up 0.08 percent at 31,795 while the broader NSE Nifty gained 0.07 percent at 9,904.
Among the top index gainers: Coal India rose 4 percent, Infosys advanced 4.5 percent, Bharti Airtel gained 2.3 percent while NTPC was up 4.1 percent.
Shares of Infosys rallied after India's second-biggest software services exporter said it will consider a proposal for buyback of its equity shares at its meeting to be held on August 19.
Coal India gained after a huge block deal.
Cigarette stocks advanced. VST Industries gained 1 percent while Godfrey Phillips India jumped 4 percent.
Among the laggards, the S&P BSE Auto index fell 0.7 percent, dragged lower by Motherson Sumi, MRF, TVS Motors and Maruti Suzuki India.
Market breadth was in the favour of gainers, with about 2 stocks advancing to every 1 stock that declining.
In Asia, most of the indices gained after investors took heart from the minutes of a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting that showed policymakers wary about weak inflation, indicating that the Fed may slow the pace of rate increases.
Fed policymakers unanimously decided to keep interest rates unchanged at their July 25-26 meeting.
