1,245.95; ONGC, down 1.65 percent at Rs.2,412.05; and SBI, down 1.59 percent at Rs.1,698.50.

Data with the market watchdog, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), showed foreign funds were net buyers, lapping up scrips worth a little over $146.6 million.

In other Asian markets, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed Friday at 9,944.55 points, up 151.61 points.

The Hang Seng, the primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, ended at 19,998.79 points, up 165.09 points.

In the European markets, the FTSE of Britain was ruling firmly in the green at 4,588.49 points, up 28.69 points.

Its French peer CAC 40 was ruling 12.06 points higher at 3,385.78 points.

The US markets were poised for a flat opening with key index futures ruling slightly above the last closing figure after disappointing results from Microsoft and American Express.

While the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures was ruling 21 points up, the Standard and Poor's 500 index future was up 2.8 points.

The technology-scrip heavy Nasdaq futures was trading 2 points higher.