MUMBAI (Reuters) - The benchmark BSE Sensex rose as much as 1 percent to a record high on Thursday as investors bet an improving economy and government reforms would allow the country to better withstand potential U.S. rate hikes from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Gains in India contrasted with a 0.5 percent fall in the MSCI Asia-Pacific index excluding Japan after the Fed ended its massive quantitative easing programme, as expected, but laced its economic assessment with a tinge of hawkishness.
Exporters led gainers on that increased optimism on the U.S. economy, with Infosys up 2.5 percent.
The 30-share BSE Sensex rose as much as 0.96 percent to its all-time high of 27,358.85, surpassing its previous record high of 27,354.99 hit on Sept.8.
The Nifty gained as much as 0.95 percent to 8,167.20, just 0.16 percent away from its record high hit on Sept.8.
(Reporting by Abhishek Vishnoi)