Stock Market Timings in India – NSE/BSE Trading Timings

The stock market in India is a regulated market. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the regulator of the Indian stock markets. Most stock exchanges are managed by the National Stock Exchange Limited (NSE) or Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), but there are other, smaller Indian stock exchanges. To trade shares on an Indian stock exchange, you must be a registered member.

To answer this question briefly: The stock market timings of the Indian Stock Exchanges for normal stock trading are Monday to Friday from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm, without lunch or tea breaks. This means that you can buy or sell your shares on the BSE or NSE at any time between this trading period.

Understanding the timing of the stock market in India: There are two major stock exchanges for trading in India: Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE). The trading times on the BSE and the NSE are identical.

Also, note that the timing of transactions in the commodities market is different and takes longer. Moreover, the timing of the stock market in India is also divided into different segments (opening session, regular session and closing session) which we will discuss in detail in this post. Here we go!!!

Calendar of stock exchanges in India

Firstly, you should know that the stock market in India is open for only five days (Monday to Friday) and is closed on weekends i.e. Saturday and Sunday.

Moreover, the markets are also closed on national holidays such as Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, etc. A list of trading days can be found here: NSE India

• Normal trading hours at the exchange are from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Trading hours for the commodity market (non-agricultural) (gold, silver, oil, etc.) on the MCX and NCDEX are Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 11:30 pm.
• The normal trading hours for commodity markets (agricultural markets) such as cotton, CPO, SYOREF, etc. are from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. (Source: McxIndia)

During this time, traders and investors are constantly on the move. This means that there is no lunch or tea break in the schedule of the Indian Stock Exchange, unlike banks or other public/private offices.

The different segments of the equity market in India

The Indian scholarship period is divided into three sessions:

1. Regular seat (also called continuous seat)
2. Provisional meeting
3. Session after closure

Let us now discuss all these sessions to better understand their importance for the timing of the Indian equity market.

Provisional meeting

The pre-opening session will last from 9:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., before the start of the regular bargaining session. It is then divided into three subsections.

1. 9:00 a.m. to 9:08 a.m.
   • This is a command step session.
   • During this period you can place orders to buy and sell shares.
   • You can also change or cancel your orders during this period.
2. 9:08 à 9:12
   • This session is used to match orders and calculate the opening price of a regular session.
   • During this period you cannot change or cancel the buy or sell order.
3. 9:12 à 9:15
   • This session is used as a buffer period.
   • It is used to transparently convert a pre-session into a normal session.

The opening price of a regular session is calculated using a multilateral order matching system. Previously, a two-way matching system was used, which caused a lot of volatility when the market opened. This system was later replaced by a multilateral order matching system to reduce market volatility. READ MORE: (To find out how stock prices are calculated before the opening, see here).

Anyway, most traders and investors do not use the pre-opening session and only trade during the regular session. Therefore, even in a normal session after the pre-opening, volatility remains huge.

Normal trading session

It is actually a stock market session or timing that everyone should know.

1. A normal trading session is when most trades take place.
2. The duration is from 9:15 to 15:30.
3. You can buy and sell shares during this session.
4. A normal trading session follows the principle of two-way matching, i.e. when the buy price equals the sell price, the trade is closed. Here, transactions are executed according to price and time priority.

Closure of the session/calculation of the closing price Session

The time from 15:30 to 15:40 is used to calculate the closing price.

1. The closing price of the stock is the weighted average of the prices from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
2. For indices such as the Sensex and the Nifty, the closing price is the weighted average price of the stocks that make up the index during the last 30 minutes, i.e., from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Session after closing time

Finally, there is the 20-minute debrief.

1. The post-closing session will last from 3:40 p.m. to 4 p.m.
2. You can place orders to buy or sell shares after the closing price during the session. If a buyer/seller is found, your transaction will be confirmed at the closing price.

OPINION: The pre-opening and closing sessions are reserved for the cash market. There are no such courses for futures and options trading.

You can also watch this video to better understand the timing of the stock market in India:

Summary of various meetings on timing of trade in India

In general, the stock market calendar in India and the various sessions can be described as follows:

If you are unable to trade between these periods, you can also place an AMO (aftermarket order). No real trading takes place here, but you can place your buy or sell order.

MCX timings – commodity trading times

The following commodity trading schedule applies to the MCX and NCDEX commodity exchanges.

• Trading hours for the (non-conventional) commodity markets (e.g. gold, silver, crude oil, etc.) are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• The normal trading hours for commodity markets (agricultural markets) such as cotton, CPO, SYOREF, etc. are from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. (Source: McxIndia)

Message: The pre-session for cancellation of GTC/GTD orders starts 15 minutes before the start time of the transaction.

Special trading session – Muhurat Trading

The Indian stock market also opens a special trading session during Diwali, the festival of lights that marks the beginning of the new Samwat. This is called Mahurat or Samwat trade. The exact time of the exchanges will be announced a few days before Diwali.

However, the time of the Mahurat negotiation does not correspond to that of the ordinary negotiation, which takes place in the evening and only during the hour. On other days the market is closed.

Bonus zone for newcomers to the exchange

By the way, if you are new to investing and want to know how to start investing in the Indian stock market, check out this video for beginners. Here I have explained the step-by-step process for beginners to start investing in stocks. And I’m sure it will do you good!

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That’s it. I hope this article on Stock Market Times in India will be useful for the readers.

If you have any doubts about India Stock Market Timing, feel free to leave a comment below. I’d like to help you. Good trade and a good investment!

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