(Updates with levels at 09:20 a.m. IST)

BENGALURU, May 15 (Reuters) - Indian shares opened

higher on Wednesday, helped by gains in drugmaker Cipla after a

report of the promoter group's stake sale plan, while lender

Canara Bank jumped on its inclusion into a key MSCI ( MSCI ) index.

The blue-chip NSE Nifty 50 was up 0.2% at 22,261.70

points, while the S&P BSE Sensex rose 0.13% to

73,199.06, as of 9:20 a.m. IST.

Cipla jumped about 5% at the open after

broadcaster CNBC-TV18 reported on Tuesday that the promoter

group of India's third-largest drugmaker is looking to sell a

stake worth $316 million via a block deal.

This lifted Nifty Pharma stocks up 0.9%, with

Cipla set to be the top percentage gainer on the benchmark.

Meanwhile, telecom operator and Nifty constituent Bharti

Airtel rose 1.5% after its results and was among top

early gainers on the benchmark.

Canara Bank gained 3% in early trade, after the

lender was added to index operator MSCI's ( MSCI ) Emerging

Market index among twelve others, post its quarterly rejig.

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane

Venkatraman and Sonia Cheema

)