Mumbai: Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty ended higher on Thursday, driven by a rally in blue-chip stocks Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank and foreign fund inflows. In a volatile session, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 273.55 points, or 0.35 per cent, higher at 77,928.15, helped by fag-end buying. During the day, it hit a high of 78,007.09 and a low of 77,440.91, gyrating 566.18 points. "Nonetheless, strengthening FII inflows, a firmer rupee, and encouraging Q1FY27 supported sentiment, prompting investors to treat dips as selective buying opportunities," Nair added. The BSE SmallCap Select index dipped 0.66 per cent and the MidCap Select index edged lower by 0.36 per cent.