Stock Market Timings, Trading Hours & Holidays in India

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Written by Arjun Remesh | Reviewed by Shivam Gaba | Updated on 6 May 2024

Stock market timings refer to the specific time periods during which trading is allowed on stock exchanges in a country. Stock market timings play an important role in the smooth functioning of the stock exchange. 

The Indian stock market opens at 9:15 AM for regular trading, after a pre-opening session from 9:00 AM to 9:15 AM. It closes at 3:30 PM from Monday to Friday. There are approximately 22 stock market holidays in India in 2024 mainly on occasions like Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti etc and other national holidays.

Stock Market Open & Closing Timings

Stock market open and closing timings are defined periods when trading occurs on Indian stock exchanges. Trading is permitted for most of the day, allowing investors to buy and sell securities when the market is open. There is a pre-opening session where orders can be placed before the official market opening. The normal trading session sees continuous price discovery and matching of buy and sell orders. After the closing time, investors can leave orders to be executed at the next day’s opening.

When does the Stock Market open?

The Indian stock market opens at 9:15 AM for regular trading. There is a pre-opening session from 9:00 AM to 9:15 AM where orders can be placed.

When does the Stock Market close?

The market closes for regular trading at 3:30 PM from Monday to Friday. At this time, no further regular buying or selling of stocks is allowed among investors.

Pre-open Sessions

The Indian stock market has a pre-open session from 9:00 AM to 9:15 AM before the normal trading hours begin. This pre-open session helps determine the opening price of stocks for the day and stabilize volatility caused by overnight announcements.

• From 9:00 AM to 9:08 AM, investors place orders to buy or sell stocks. Orders placed during this period are given priority for execution when the market opens. Traders will be able to cancel or modify their orders during this period.
• From 9:08 AM to 9:12 AM, the matching of orders happens to determine the equilibrium price for each stock. This price discovery process matches buy and sell orders based on demand and supply for stock at different price levels.
• The 9:12 AM to 9:15 AM period acts as a buffer for any issues in the previous periods. No new orders are accepted, and existing orders cannot be modified or cancelled during this time as well. This allows the pre-opening session to close smoothly.

Normal Session

The normal session is the primary Indian stock market trading session that lasts from 9.15 AM to 3.30 PM. During this time, normal trading begins at 9.15 AM after the conclusion of the pre-opening session. Buy and sell orders for stocks are placed by investors on the stock exchanges. A bilateral matching system is used, where orders are matched through live order books based on matching the best prices as determined by the demand and supply of each stock.

This allows continuous price discovery. Stock prices fluctuate throughout the day depending on order flows, corporate announcements, economic news and other factors. Investors can buy and sell stocks multiple times during this trading session. Trading activity usually reaches a peak around 11 AM and then again from 2 PM till the closing time as many traders and institutions try to exit their positions before market closure.

This is the main trading window for investors to actively participate in the stock market and implement their short-term trading strategies. Market depth and liquidity is highest during the normal trading session.

Closing Sessions

The Indian stock market closing session begins at 3:30 pm. The closing session is divided into two parts as explained below. 

• From 3:30 pm to 3:40 pm, the closing price of each stock is calculated. A weighted average of all trades conducted in the last 30 minutes of trading from 3 pm to 3:30 pm is used to determine the closing price. This is done for benchmark indices as well, where a weighted average of prices of underlying stocks is considered. 
• From 3:40 pm to 4:00 pm, investors will be able to place overnight or carry forward orders for the next trading day during these after-market hours. Any orders placed here are confirmed based on the availability of buyers and sellers. These orders will be executed at whatever price the stock opens at on the next trading day. This allows investors to fix their positions even after the normal trading hours. No actual trading takes place during this period.

Stock Market Holiday List

Saturday and Sunday are generally holidays for the Indian stock markets. Below is the list of stock market holidays in India.

What are the F&O Market Timings?

Indian stock market has separate timings defined for trading in the futures and options segment. The trade in futures and options takes place for a shorter duration than the regular equity segment. It begins at 9:00 AM and ends at 3:30 PM from Monday to Thursday. On Fridays, the F&O segment closes at 3:00 PM to give brokers and other market participants time to adjust their positions before the weekend. There is no pre-opening session for F&O options, and trading happens continuously from start to close, unlike the equity segment. These dedicated timings for options help establish liquidity and prevent volatility from overlapping with the regular cash market.

What are Forex Market Timings?

The Foreign Exchange Market is operational 24 hours a day except weekends, as it spans several financial centers around the world. When one Foreign Exchange Market closes in one timezone, it opens immediately in the next zone. This allows currency pairs to be traded virtually anytime during working hours globally.

What are the Commodity Trading Timings?

Below are the commodity trading timings for major exchanges in India.

MCX Timings

Regular trading session: 9:00 am to 11:30 pm, Monday to Friday

Agri-commodities can be traded till 5:00 pm

Other commodities like metals, bullion and energy can be traded till 11:30 pm

No trading on Saturdays and Sundays

NCDEX Timings

Morning session: 9:00 am to 11:30 pm

Evening session: 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm

Trading hours for various contracts may vary

ICEX Timings

Regular trading session: 10:00 am to 11:30 pm, Monday to Friday

No trading on Saturdays and Sundays

The timings are subject to change depending on holidays observed by the exchanges.

What are the Block Deal Session Timings?

Block deals refer to large transactions in commodities that are done between institutional traders/investors. These deals are conducted through separate windows outside of regular trading hours on exchanges like MCX. Below are the timings.
Morning Window

• Operates between 08:45 AM to 09:00 AM
• First session of the day for block deals

Afternoon Window

• Operates between 02:05 PM to 2:20 PM
• Second session of the day for block deals

The morning window provides a short time frame in the beginning for large deals to be executed. The afternoon window offers another opportunity for block trades to take place later in the trading day. These separate sessions are essential for facilitating large commodity transactions between bulk buyers/sellers with minimal impact on regular trading order flows and prices.

What are After Market Orders?

After Market Orders, one of the order types, refer to orders placed by investors for securities after the regular trading hours of the stock market. Investors can place these order types between 3:40 pm to 4 pm for stocks of companies they are interested in. These orders will be executed at the opening market price of those securities on the next trading day.

When is Muhurat Trading?

Muhurat Trading is a one hour trading session held on the Indian stock exchanges on Diwali every year. It is conducted on the evening of Diwali from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. During this special trading session, investors can buy and sell shares for propitious purposes on this auspicious Hindu festival.

What is the trading time for NSE?

The trading time for NSE is same as the Indian stock market timings. It begins with the pre-opening session from 9:00 am to 9:15 am, followed by the normal trading session from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm. No transactions are allowed post the closing time of 3:30 pm in the evening on NSE.

What is the trading time for BSE?

The trading time for BSE is the same as the Indian stock market timings. Trading begins with the pre-opening session from 9:00 am to 9:15 am, followed by the regular trading session from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm. Once the market closes at 3:30 pm, no further transactions are allowed on the BSE for the rest of the day.

Are Market Timings the Same for NSE & BSE?

Yes, the trading timings are the same for both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The trading session begins with the pre-opening session from 9:00 am to 9:15 am, followed by the regular trading session from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm. After the market closes at 3:30 pm, no further transactions are allowed on both NSE and BSE for the rest of the day.

Can you buy & sell before market hours?

Yes, it is possible to buy and sell stocks before the official market hours in India through the pre-open market session that takes place from 9:00 am to 9:15 am daily.

Can you buy & sell after market hours?

Yes, it is possible to buy and sell stocks after the official market hours in India through aftermarket orders. While the regular trading session on Indian stock exchanges lasts from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm, investors can place aftermarket orders for securities of chosen companies between 3:40 pm to 4:00 pm.