INDIA STOCKS-Indian shares fall as US visa crackdown triggers near $10-billion sell-off in IT stocks

By Bharath Rajeswaran and Vivek Kumar M

Sept 22 (Reuters) - Indian equity benchmarks declined on Monday, dragged by key information technology stocks that lost roughly $10 billion in combined market capitalisation after the U.S. unveiled a steep fee on new H-1B visa applications.

The Nifty 50 .NSEI slipped 0.49% to 25,202.35, while the BSE Sensex .BSESN dropped 0.56% to 82,159.97.

The broader small-cap .NIFSMCP100 and mid-cap .NIFMDCP100 indices also declined 1.2% and 0.7%, respectively.

The Nifty IT index .NIFTYIT, the second-heaviest sector on the benchmarks, tumbled 3%, with nine of its 10 constituents in the red.

Infosys INFY.NS, TCS TCS.NS, Tech Mahindra EML.NS> and Wipro WIPR.NS declined about 2.2%-3.1%, leading the Nifty 50 losers. The sell-off erased around 854.33 billion rupees ($9.67 billion) in market value from the IT gauge.

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration announced a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications.

Indians made up 71% of approved H-1B beneficiaries last year. India's $283 billion IT industry, which derives 57% of revenue from the U.S., has long leaned on the visa program and outsourcing to support growth.

"The new H-1B visa fee will raise operating costs for Indian IT services companies," said Sweta Patodia, assistant vice president at Moody’s Ratings. "It adds to the threat of a possible 25% outsourcing tax under the proposed HIRE Act."

Pharma stocks .NIPHARM, which also rely heavily on U.S. revenues, also fell 1.4%. Ten of the other 14 major sectors declined, as foreign investors likely stepped up their selling, according to analysts.

"Despite trade uncertainty and higher H-1B fees, the government's pro-growth stance through tax cuts and policy easing still makes Indian equities attractive," UBS Global Wealth Management said in a note.

Among other stocks, Adani group companies extended gains after regulators dismissed two Hindenburg allegations. Adani Power ADAN.NS surged 20% on news SBI Mutual Fund and Citadel Securities bought shares offloaded by GQG.

($1 = 88.3110 Indian rupees)