BSE Sensex hits record high; Nifty not far behind

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The BSE rose as much as 1 percent to a record high at 21,492.49 points, surpassing the previous all-time high set on December 9.

Strong buying by foreign investors has sparked a rally across blue chips: ICICI Bank gained 3.04 percent, while Hindalco Industries gained 3.51 percent.

Overseas investors bought Indian shares worth a net $119.46 million on Wednesday, marking a 14th consecutive day for a net total of around $900 million, provisional exchange data showed.

The Nifty is up 0.8 percent, just about 0.5 percent off a record high of 6,415.25 hit on December 9.

(Reporting by Indulal PM)