Sensex closes higher for first time in a week as banks gain

Indian shares closed higher on Thursday, snapping a six-session losing streak, as lenders recovered while Asian peers found relief on hopes that U.S. plan to introduce protectionist tariffs could exclude certain key partner countries.

The broader NSE Nifty ended 0.87 percent higher at 10,242.65, while the benchmark BSE Sensex closed 0.96 percent up at 33,351.57.

Financial stocks accounted for over half of the gains on the indexes, with ICICI Bank Ltd closing up 3.9 percent and State Bank of India ending 4.1 percent higher.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.89 percent.