Lessons › Markets of the world › India: NSE and BSE
World 6 · Markets of the world · lesson 3 · level 2
India: NSE and BSE
In India, shares trade on NSE and BSE from 9:15 until about 3:30, and SEBI is the referee.
In one line
In India, shares trade on NSE and BSE from 9:15 until about 15:30, and SEBI is the referee.
Explained simply
Think of NSE and BSE as two big marketplaces open at the same hours on trading days. Buyers and sellers meet there to trade shares, and SEBI is the referee who makes the rules. When you buy a share, it lands in your demat account, like money landing in a bank account.
The lesson
India's two main stock exchanges are the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and BSE, and their best-known indices are the Nifty 50 and the Sensex. The normal session runs from 9:15 to 15:30 India time after a pre-open session from 9:00, but since 3 August 2026 shares that also have futures and options stop at 15:15 and end with a closing auction until 15:35 that sets their closing price. Most share trades settle one business day later (T+1) into a demat account, and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) regulates the market. Exchange-traded futures and options (F&O), which now trade until 15:40, come in lot sizes set by the exchanges, while in the cash market you can buy a single share.
A worked example
Illustrative example: a stock trades at 1,000 rupees, so in the cash market one share costs 1,000 rupees. If its F&O lot were 500 shares, one lot would control 5,00,000 rupees of stock (500 times 1,000). A 2% move changes one share by 20 rupees (1,000 times 0.02) but one lot by 10,000 rupees (5,00,000 times 0.02).
The same idea at four levels
- Beginner. In India, shares trade on NSE and BSE from 9:15 until about 15:30 India time on trading days.
- Foundation. The Nifty 50 (NSE) and the Sensex (BSE) are the best-known indices, and SEBI regulates the market.
- Intermediate. Most share trades settle one business day later (T+1), when the shares reach your demat account.
- Advanced. F&O contracts come in lots that the exchanges set and review every six months, so one lot is far bigger than one share in the cash market.
- Expert. Experts watch the 9:00 to 9:15 pre-open and the first minutes after 9:15, which are often the most volatile, and they recheck F&O rules after every SEBI change.
Mistakes to avoid
- Thinking you need a whole F&O lot to own shares; in the cash market you can buy a single share.
- Ignoring the first minutes after the open, which are often the most volatile.
- Forgetting that shares bought today settle one business day later (T+1).
Check yourself
What are India's two main stock exchanges?
NSE and BSE. NSE and BSE are exchanges; SEBI is the regulator and Nifty and Sensex are indices.
What are the normal market hours for Indian shares without futures and options?
9:15 to 15:30 India time. Shares with futures and options stop at 15:15 and end with a closing auction until 15:35.
Who regulates India's securities market?
SEBI. SEBI is the market's referee.
Where do your shares sit after you buy them in India?
In a demat account. Shares are held electronically in a demat account.
When do most Indian share trades settle?
One business day later (T+1). India uses T+1, with an optional T+0 for some shares.
Goal of this lesson: Know the basics of India's stock market: exchanges, hours, indices, settlement and regulator.