(Updates to close)

By Bharath Rajeswaran

BENGALURU, Aug 1 (Reuters) - India's benchmark indexes

registered record closing highs on Thursday, boosted by

prospects of a U.S. interest rate cut in September which

analysts said could trigger foreign inflows into domestic

equities.

The NSE Nifty 50 rose 0.24% to 25,010.9, while the

S&P BSE Sensex settled 0.15% higher at 81,867.55.

Both indexes hit all-time highs during the session, with the

Nifty breaching 25,000 points for the first time ever.

Most Asian markets rose, with the MSCI Asia ex-Japan

index adding 0.4%, after Fed Chair Powell spoke

of a "growing sense of confidence" that rate cuts could start in

September.

"U.S. rate cut seems almost a certainty in September.

It's important to note that a gradual rate reduction will happen

over four to six quarters, which could trigger steady foreign

inflows," said Deven Choksey, managing director at DRChoksey

FinServ.

However, in the near term, Indian markets may only see

incremental gains as profit booking is likely to continue at

record highs, three analysts said.

Energy added about 2% and was the top sectoral

gainer. Oil upstream companies ONGC and Oil India

gained 2.3% and 3.7%, respectively after the

government cut windfall tax on petroleum crude.

Upstream oil companies benefit from lower windfall taxes as

it reduces the tax on their crude oil output.

Coal India gained 3.5% after it beat quarterly

profit estimates. Coal India and ONGC were among the top three

Nifty 50 gainers.

Maruti Suzuki jumped about 2% after beating

June-quarter profit estimates.

The stock was an exception in the auto index

which dropped 0.75% after Tata Motors and Mahindra &

Mahindra posted weaker-than-expected sales in July.

Meanwhile, the broader, more domestically focussed

small- and mid-caps dropped about 1%

each, with analysts expecting selling pressure to continue in

the segments due to elevated valuations.

($1 = 83.6723 Indian rupees)