INDIA STOCKS-Indian benchmarks open higher after upbeat GDP data, US court's tariff ruling

Sept 1 (Reuters) - India's equity benchmarks opened higher on Monday after a U.S. court ruled that most of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs are illegal, but allowed them to remain in effect through October 14.

Investors also took heart from the better-than-expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7.8% in the April-June quarter, despite the sharp rise in U.S. tariffs threatening to weigh on business activity in the coming quarters.

The Nifty 50 .NSEI rose 0.33% to 24,502.9 points and the BSE Sensex .BSESN added 0.31% to 80,065.84 as of 9:16 a.m. IST.

All 16 major sectors logged gains. The broader small-caps .NIFSMCP100 and mid-caps .NIFMDCP100 rose 0.5% and 0.7% respectively.

A divided U.S. appeals court has left the tariffs in place for now, giving the Trump administration time to file an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, among the highest on any of its trading partners.