India's GIFT Nifty was lower by about 0.2% to 19,857.5 points as at 7:58 a.m. IST on the NSE International Exchange.

The Nifty 50 closed 1.2% lower at 19,901.4 points on Wednesday, while the S&P BSE Sensex closed 1.2% down to 66,800.84 points, marking their worst one-day session in two months.

The benchmark indexes are down about 1.5% for the week after gaining nearly 2% and reaching all-time highs last week.

In the broader region, Asian stock markets took a hit as investors exited riskier assets to take refuge in the safe-haven greenback after the U.S. central bank struck a hawkish tone saying that its restrictive monetary policy is likely to continue through the next year. [MKTS/GLOB]

Foreign investors sold 31.11 billion rupees ($375.18 million) on a net basis on Wednesday, while their domestic counterparts sold 5.73 billion rupees, according to stock exchange data.

STOCKS TO WATCH:

** Fino Payments : Bank receives complaints from client for potential fictitious schemes by some employees

** Cipla : Cipla says USFDA inspection at its Invagen Manufacturing Facility in the United States with five inspectional observations in form 483

** Adani Green Energy : TotalEnergies to invest $300 mln in joint venture with Adani Green Energy

($1 = 82.9200 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Archishma Iyer; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)