BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty opened higher on Thursday, as sentiment improved on progress in debt ceiling negotiations in the US, while investors also braced for quarterly earnings from several top corporates.

The Nifty 50 was up 0.48 per cent at 18,271.30, while the S&P BSE Sensex rose 0.53 per cent to 61,895.50 in early trade.