Indian benchmark indices got off to a firm start, and showed strength in the morning session. However, profit booking was witnessed on back of weak opening of European markets in the noon session, but later on indices regained strength and finished the day near intraday highs. To end with, the NSE’s 50-share broadly followed index, Nifty, surged by over half a per cent to settle above the crucial 8950 level; while Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensitive Index-Sensex gained over two hundred points and closed above the psychological 29000 mark.