The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange rose 81 points, or 0.5 percent, to close above the 17,000-level after ten weeks, at 17,077, on Wednesday, on positive investor sentiment after the Reserve Bank shifted focus to economic growth, and on firm Asian markets. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange gained 31points, or 0.6 percent, to 5,158. Stock markets in Japan , South Korea and Singapore rose between 0.1 percent and 1.5 percent. The Chinese and Hong Kong markets remained closed for a holiday.