BENGALURU, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Indian shares are set to

open marginally higher on Thursday as the U.S. Federal Reserve

started its monetary easing cycle with a large 50-basis-point

rate cut.

The GIFT Nifty was at 25,453.5 points as of 08:08

a.m. IST, indicating the NSE Nifty 50 will open

slightly above its close of 25,377.55 on Wednesday.

The Fed cutting rates could boost the markets to record

highs, two analysts said.

"This rate cut will facilitate inflows to emerging markets

like India," said Nilesh Shah, managing director at Kotak

Mahindra Asset Management Company.

India's information technology and pharma companies, which

earn a significant share of their revenue from the U.S., will be

in focus.

Other Asian markets rose, with the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index

rising 0.25%.

Foreign institutional investors and domestic institutional

investors net bought Indian stocks on Wednesday, purchasing

11.54 billion rupees ($137.91 million) and 1.52 billion rupees

of shares, respectively, according to provisional data from the

National Stock Exchange of India.

STOCKS TO WATCH

** Power Grid says it was declared as successful

bidder for the Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh inter-state transmission

project.

** B L Kashya wins order worth 2.21 billion rupees

** Ion Exchange secures orders worth 1.61 billion

rupees.

($1 = 83.6760 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru; Editing by

Mrigank Dhaniwala)