Mumbai, Aug 10 (IANS) A benchmark index of Indian equities markets was trading 79 points down Friday afternoon after consumer durables, auto and banking stocks came under intense selling.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,515.42 points, was ruling at 17,481.71 points, 0.45 percent or 79.16 points down from its previous day's close at 17,560.87 points.

The BSE consumer durables index was down 113.34 points, followed by auto index, down 128.40 points, and banking index, down 140.29 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was ruling 0.46 percent down at 5,298.65 points.

The main Sensex losers were SBI, down 4.47 percent at Rs.1,883.75; Tata Motors, down 3.07 percent at Rs.232; Hero MotoCorp, down 2.23 percent at Rs.1,915; ICICI Bank, down 1.64 percent at Rs.937.45; and BHEL, down 1.60 percent at Rs.227.15.

The major gainers were Hindustan Unilever, up 1.22 percent at Rs.493.45; TCS, up 1.15 percent at Rs.1,273.05; Sterlite Inds, up 0.96 percent at Rs.110.25; and ITC, up 0.77 percent at Rs.267.90.

Among other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei was down 0.97 percent while Shanghai's composite index was lower 0.24 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was also down 1.05 percent.