(Updates with closing levels at 3:30 p.m. IST)

By Hritam Mukherjee

BENGALURU, May 22 (Reuters) - Indian shares ended higher

on Wednesday as domestic IT firms advanced with an eye on rate

cut clues from the upcoming Federal Reserve minutes, while

consumer stocks and heavyweight Reliance Industries supported

gains.

The blue-chip NSE Nifty 50 rose 0.31% to 22,597.8

points, while the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 0.36% to

74,221.06, as of 3:30 p.m. IST.

Six out of the 13 major sub-indexes closed in the green,

with the U.S. rate-sensitive IT stocks, which earn

the bulk of their revenue from U.S. clients, adding 0.7%.

Later in the day, minutes from the Fed's latest policy

meeting will offer clues about the rate cut trajectory in the

world's largest economy.

India's fast-moving consumer goods - seen as

"defensive" against volatility - also helped the positive

sentiment of the day, adding 1.43%.

Hindustan Unilever and Tata Consumer Products

were among the top percentage gainers on the sub-index

as well as the benchmark Nifty.

Among individual stocks, heavyweight Reliance Industries

rose 1.71%. The stock was among the top gainers in the

energy sector, which rose 0.88% as crude prices

slipped for the third straight session.

Drugmaker Cipla also added 2.8% after receiving

the U.S. FDA's nod to its hormonal disorder injection and was

the top percentage gainer on the benchmark.

Meanwhile, foreign selling pressure and worries about the

results of the national elections continued to weigh on investor

sentiment.

The volatility index - a key gauge for measuring

market unease - softened but closed around 19-month high levels

on Wednesday.

"Market participants, taking political cues from the domestic

front, are not seeing anything decisive on the horizon. But

sustained buying on behalf of domestic investors and upbeat

sentiment in global markets are lending some comfort," said

Religare Broking's Ajit Mishra.

The results of the elections are due on June 4.