Mumbai, Sep 4: Indian stock markets started Friday’s session on a strong footing, with the Sensex gaining more than 500 points as investors stepped up buying in IT stocks. Positive signals from the domestic economy and firm global markets also helped improve sentiment.

The Sensex jumped 515 points, or 0.68 per cent, to 76,668, while the Nifty gained 51 points, or 0.22 per cent, to trade at 23,925 in early deals.

The broader market also remained positive, although gains were relatively modest. The Nifty Midcap 100 rose 0.03 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 advanced 0.49 per cent.

IT stocks emerged as the key drivers of the morning rally. The Nifty IT…