INDIA STOCKS-Indian shares open higher on expectations Iran war could end soon

April 1 (Reuters) - India's equity benchmarks opened higher on Wednesday, mirroring gains in Asian peers, as hopes of a potential de-escalation in the Middle East conflict eased concerns over surging oil prices and global inflation.

The Nifty 50 .NSEI rose 2.53% to 22,895.20 and the BSE Sensex .BSESN added 2.51% to 73,731.09 as of 9:21 a.m. IST.

All 16 major sectors logged gains at the open. The broader small-caps .NIFSMCP100 and mid-caps .NIFMDCP100 advanced 3.5% and 3.2%, respectively.

Other Asian markets .MIAPJ0000PUS surged 4.2% while Brent crude LCOc1 hovered around $105 a barrel on expectations of de-escalation in the Iran war.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could end its military attacks on Iran within two to three weeks, adding that Tehran would not need to strike a deal as a prerequisite for the conflict to wind down. MKTS/GLOB

Back home, equity benchmarks fell more than 11% in March to log their worst month in six years, with foreign investors offloading a record $12.7 billion during the month.