Indian equity benchmarks are poised for a weaker start on Thursday after the US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and warned that import tariffs will push goods inflation higher in the coming months. GIFT Nifty futures were recently at 24,744.50, implying a subdued open for the Nifty 50 and Sensex, and extending the cautious tone that has held the headline index in a 24,700-25,000 range for three sessions. The Fed’s hawkish inflation outlook reverberated across Asian markets and triggered broad selling in Mumbai. Rate-sensitive real-estate and metal counters led declines: the Nifty Metal index slipped about 1% to 9,062, while the Nifty Realty gauge fell 0.6% to 1,004, marking a third straight session of losses. Stocks such as Hindustan Copper, Hindalco, Tata Steel and NMDC dropped as much as 3%, and property developers including Phoenix Mills and DLF retreated up to 2%. Technology shares also weakened after global brokerages reiterated a cautious view on discretionary spending. The Nifty IT index slid sharply, with Tech Mahindra falling nearly 2% following a Morgan Stanley downgrade. Wipro bucked the trend, rising almost 1% after the same firm upgraded the stock. Traders remain focused on whether the Reserve Bank of India will mirror the Fed’s stance, with 24,500 flagged as key support for the Nifty if selling pressure deepens.