INDIA STOCKS-IT stocks lead India's benchmark indexes higher at open

March 13 (Reuters) - India's benchmark indexes opened marginally higher on Thursday, tracking global market trends, and as investors drew comfort from softer-than-expected inflation data in the U.S. and India.

The Nifty 50 .NSEI rose 0.15% to 22,501 as of 9:20 a.m. IST, while the Sensex .BSESN gained 0.18% to 74,138.81.

Nine of the 13 major sectors advanced at open, with IT stocks .NIFTYIT rising 0.7% to lead sectoral gains. The IT index confirmed a bear market on Wednesday.

The rise in IT stocks on the day comes after U.S. consumer prices increased moderately in February, although it was seen as a temporary relief as the data did not fully capture the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

IT companies earn a significant share of their revenue from the U.S.

Back home, retail inflation fell below 4% in February, giving the domestic central bank room to cut rates further this year.

($1 = 87.2075 Indian rupees)