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The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Wednesday surged to a new 17-month high by adding over 204 points on buying support particularly in banking and metal stocks amid strong cues from Asian markets.

The Sensex, which had closed with a hefty gain in previous session on Monday, added 204.44 points at 17,231.11, a level last seen on May 20, 2008. The benchmark touched the day`s high of 17,274.59 led by stocks in metal, banks and drugmaker companies.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty shot up by 63.95 points at 5,118.20.

Investors were also upbeat after a top policy adviser said the central bank was likely to hold interest rates at a near decade-low when it reviews policy on Oct. 27, reinforcing expectations the government's priority was to boost growth.

The 30-share BSE index closed up 1.2 percent, or 204.44 points, at 17,231.11, with 25 of its components advancing. It rose to 17,274.59 during trade, its highest since May 21, 2008.

"We may rise another 500-600 points from here but we should correct after that, as we have risen too fast," said Amitabh Chakraborty, president of equities at Religare Capital.

He said profit-taking was imminent.

The market has gained almost 79 percent so far this year, and the benchmark has more than doubled from 8,047.17 points struck in early March.

Brokers said markets were catching up with gains across the region on Tuesday when the domestic market was close due to state elections in Maharashtra.

They added that Asian shares were mostly firmer and the market was also underpinned by rising foreign portfolio flows.

The traders said the Sensex had gained almost 79 per cent this year as foreign funds stepped up purchases on the back of a recovering economy.

The FIIs pumped in nearly USD 13 billion into Indian stocks this year, almost putting back what they had pulled out in 2008 when the index slumped to more than half.

The market also got partial boost after HDFC Ltd reported a higher-than-expected 24 per cent rise in its second quarter net profit. The state-run lender, State Bank of India rose 4.46 per cent to Rs 2,269.45.

Healthcare sector index was an important participant in today`s rally as drugmakers`s price estimates were raised at Goldman, Sachs. Ranbaxy Laboratories, a third-biggest drugmaker by market value, advanced 1.17 per cent after Goldman Sachs increased share-price estimate by 23 per cent.

The metal, capital goods, auto and banking stocks lended maximum support to the market recording handsome gains. Metal index rose the most by 5.27 per cent to 15,587.83 followed by capital goods index up by 2.38 per cent to 14,185.34.

Telecom companies bucked the trend and dropped after slower subscriber additions at leading GSM mobile operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar in September amid intense price competition.

Bharti dropped 3.25 percent to 339.40 rupees and Reliance Communications fell 6.5 percent to 231.60 rupees.

Around 507 million shares changed hands on the Bombay Stock Exchange, with advancing shares outnumbering declining ones in the ratio of 1.6:1.

The 50-share NSE index closed 1.3 percent higher at 5,118.20.