Indian stocks climbed, with the benchmark index rising to a five-week high, as industrials rallied after data showed factory production in February rose at the fastest pace in three months.
Bharat Heavy Electricals, the biggest power equipment maker, gained the most in two weeks, and Larsen & Toubro, the largest engineering company, climbed for the first time in three days. Bharti Airtel rose to a four-year high, while Reliance Industries capped the steepest five-day advance since September 2011.
The S&P BSE Sensex increased 0.5 per cent to 29,033.80 at the close. The gauge rose 2.2 per cent last week after India's credit rating outlook was raised to positive by Moody's Investors Service, signaling confidence in efforts by policy makers to boost economic growth. Industrial production rose five per cent from a year earlier in February, official data showed after trading ended on Friday. That exceeded the 3.3 increase estimated by 33 analysts in a Bloomberg survey.
Bharat Heavy jumped 3.4 per cent, while Larsen advanced 2.2 per cent. Bharti Airtel added 3.3 per cent to its highest level since August 2011.
