Mumbai, Aug. 25 -- Domestic equity indices opened on a positive note, registering modest gains in early trade, driven by strong performance in IT stocks. The upbeat sentiment was mirrored across Asian markets, which followed overnight gains on Wall Street after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled a potential interest rate cut next month.

The Nifty traded above the 24,900 level. IT, realty and metal shares advanced, while media, FMCG and healthcare shares corrected.

At 09:27 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, rose 248.28 points or 0.31% to 81,555.18. The Nifty 50 index gained 72.12 points or 0.29% to 24,943.35.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.21% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index added 0.14...