New Delhi, July 3 -- Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty 50 opened sharply higher on Friday, led by gains in information technology (IT) stocks after softer-than-expected US jobs data strengthened hopes that the US Federal Reserve may refrain from raising interest rates in the near term.

At 9:15 IST, the Nifty 50 advanced 0.83% to 24,375.65, while the BSE Sensex gained 0.84% to 78,152.34.

Market breadth remained positive, with 15 of the 16 sectoral indices trading in the green. The broader markets also participated in the rally, with the Nifty Midcap and Nifty Smallcap indices rising 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively.

The Nifty IT index emerged as the top sectoral gainer, climbing 1.9%. Investor sentiment improved after data showed US ...