<h1>Foreign fund inflows and domestic buying lift benchmark indices in early trade, boosting sentiment for year-end rally</h1> Equity benchmark indices recorded early-trade gains, with the Sensex and Nifty rising amid reported foreign fund inflows, domestic institutional buying, and positive global market cues. Exchange-reported activity indicated net equity purchases by FIIs and DIIs in the prior session, contributing to improved market sentiment and expectations of a year-end rally, including potential short-covering support. The operative consequence was higher opening levels for the indices and broad-based advances among constituent stocks, with limited decliners.