Indian shares recouped early losses to close higher on Friday but gains were limited amid caution ahead of the rollout of the goods and services tax (GST).
The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex rose 0.21 percent at 30,921 while the broader NSE Nifty advanced 0.18 percent at 9,520.
Both the indexes posted a near 1 percent fall for the month, their first decline this year.
The July futures and options series saw a bumpy start amid a weak equity trend in Asia, tracking losses in the U.S.
Sentiment across the globe was subdued after major central banks signaled an end to easy money and need for rate increase.
Back home, caution prevailed ahead of the launch of the GST on July 1, with its complex structure and myriad exceptions adding to confusion for businesses.
Sectors leading the gains were fast moving consumer goods and healthcare indexes. Biscuit maker ITC jumped 3.8 percent while cigarette maker Godfrey Phillips climbed 4 percent.
Among the drugmakers, shares of Natco Pharma, Indoco Remedies, Sun Pharma gained between 3 to 8 percent.
Shares of Central Depository Services surged 80 percent on debut.
Unichem Laboratories also rose 2.5 percent the company said it got establishment inspection report for its Goa facility from the U.S. drug regulator.
Among the sectoral losers, the S&P BSE Realty index and the S&P BSE Telecom index dropped 0.5 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.
Market breadth was in the favour of gainers, with about 2 stocks advancing to every 1 stock that declined.
