Mumbai, April 21 -- The headline equity benchmarks traded with robust gains in early afternoon trade, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar and robust earnings from heavyweight lenders ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, both of which hit record highs and lifted overall sentiment in the banking sector. The Nifty climbed above the 24,150 mark. IT shares extended gains for the five consecutive trading sessions.

All eyes will also be on the upcoming Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), set to take place from April 21-26 in Washington, D.C. On the agenda: the ripple effects of trade tensions on global growth and updates on the progress of the World Bank and IMF's initiatives.

At 12:30 IST, the barometer index...