Mumbai, Dec 20 (IANS): Indian equity markets opened on a flat note -- marginally in the green, during the early morning trade session on Tuesday.

However, a weak rupee, along with broadly negative Asian indices and stable crude oil prices, cautioned the investors.

Healthy buying was witnessed in IT, consumer durables and automobile stocks.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) inched up by 13 points or 0.16 per cent to 8,117.35 points.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 26,374.56 points, traded at 26,432.32 points (at 9.30 a.m.) -- up 57.62 points or 0.22 per cent from the previous close at 26,374.70 points.

The Sensex has touched a high of 26,435.56 points and a low of 26,361.39 points during the intra-day trade so far.

The BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of the bulls -- with 895 advances and 423 declines.

On Monday, the equity markets were subdued by weak global indices, coupled with an outflow of foreign funds and rupee depreciation.

The barometer index was down 114.86 points or 0.43 per cent, while the NSE Nifty slipped by 35.10 points or 0.43 per cent.