The BSE benchmark index Sensex today rose by 70 points in early trade, as surging IT stocks led to the recovery in buying by funds and retailers. The 30-share barometer, which has lost 407 points in the past two sessions, rose by 70.34 points to 17,167.02, with IT, consumer durables, realty and banking sectors leading the recovery. In a similar fashion, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also moved up by 21 points to 5,221.60. In Asian, Japan's Nikkei fell by 1.15 per cent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index shed 0.15 per cent in the morning trade today.