Benchmark equity indices opened on a positive note today, with Sensex crossing the 80,000 mark again led by auto and pharma stocks.

BSE Sensex was trading 317 points or 0.4 percent to trade at 80,278 points, while the NSE Nifty rose 74 points or 0.3 percent to trade at 24,397, when the reports last came in.

The auto index was the best performer, rising over one per cent, while IT stocks slipped ahead of earnings this week.