Indian equities started the new fiscal year on a strong note on Thursday, with the BSE Sensex surging over 520 points to settle above the 50,000-level on across-the-board buying by participants amid positive global cues. At the closing bell, the 30-share BSE index quoted 520.68 points or 1.05 per cent higher at 50,029.83. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty rose 176.65 points or 1.2 per cent to settle at 14,867.35.