Mumbai/IBNS, Jan. 5 -- Indian equity benchmarks edged higher on Monday, with the BSE Sensex rising about 50 points and the NSE Nifty 50 trading above the 26,350 mark in early deals, media reports said.

Realty and PSU banking stocks led the gains in the first hour of trade, while IT stocks lagged the broader market.

Among key movers, Vodafone Idea gained 1.19%, SJVN Ltd rose 5.86%, Yes Bank added 0.90%, Hindustan Copper climbed 4.37%, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank advanced 3.95%, ITC rose 0.90% and Tata Steel gained 1.40%.

Meanwhile, gold and silver prices surged sharply, tracking a global flight to safe-haven assets following the United States' strike on Venezuela.

Spot silver jumped 4.5%, while spot gold rose 1.5%, marking their stronge...