New Delhi, Aug. 20 -- Indian stock markets on Wednesday closed with both benchmark indices higher after recovering from early losses. Sensex rose 213.45 points, or 0.26 per cent, to settle at 81,857.84, while the NSE Nifty 50 gained 69.90 points, or 0.28 per cent, ending at 25,050.55.

Over the past five sessions, the Sensex has advanced around 2.3 per cent and the Nifty about 2 per cent, lifted by optimism around proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms. Experts note that strong domestic inflows and stable global cues have further strengthened investor confidence.

According to Ashika Institutional Equities - Ashika Stock Broking, markets opened on a cautious note but steadily gained ground.

"Sentiment was buoyed after China, India...