New Delhi, March 18 -- US stock indices declined on Tuesday, weighed down by tech shares, ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest rates decision.

At 11:47 a.m. ET the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 330.66 points, or 0.79 per cent, to 41,510.97, the S&P 500 lost 68.07 points, or 1.20 per cent, to 5,606.90, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 314.19 points, or 1.77 per cent, to 17,494.16.

Investors are keenly awaiting the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision and ecomomic projections, to be announced on Wednesday. The central bank is widely expected to keep interest rates steady.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note edged down to 4.30 per cent from 4.31 per cent late on Monday.

On the data front, manufactur...