Indian benchmark equity indices opened slightly lower on Thursday, impacted by declines in auto and IT stocks. The BSE Sensex was down 63 points at 81,721, while the Nifty50 fell 21 points to 25,031. Key sectoral indices such as Nifty IT and Nifty Metal also saw losses. Investors are closely watching U.S. economic indicators for clues on rate easing plans.