A day after the presentation of the Union Budget, the stock markets are seeing a powerful rally. So after a very strong opening, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange gained even further ground, and had surged a massive 711 points, to 23,713 in afternoon trade. Similarly, the Nifty at the National Stock Exchange had zoomed 212 points, to 7,199 a short while ago. Buying was seen across the board, with FMCG, Auto, Banking and Realty stocks the biggest gainers. Other key regional stock markets also rose, with the bourses in Japan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore gaining between 0.3 percent and 1.7 percent. The rupee also strengthened significantly, appreciating 18 paise, to 68.24 against the dollar in early trade. The rupee hardened on sustained dollar selling by banks and exporters, and surging domestic equities.