Stock market timings refer to the specific period of time during which a buying and selling of securities takes place on stock exchanges. Stock market timings play an important role in the smooth functioning of the stock exchange by ensuring orderly trading, fair price discovery, and efficient execution of buy and sell orders.
The Indian stock market opens from Monday to Friday, with pre-opening sessions from 9:00 AM to 9:15 AM followed by the regular trading session from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM. However, this schedule is not applied during the market holidays and special events. In 2026, there are 15 official stock market holidays on weekdays which includes national and religious observance.
Indian Stock Market Timings
Indian stock market timings follows a structured daily schedule where each session serves a specific purpose in price discovery, active trading, and order settlement throughout the trading day.plays
| Session | Time (IST) | Key Activity |
| Pre-Opening | 9:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. | Order entry, modification, and opening price discovery |
| Regular Trading | 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Primary trading based on live supply and demand |
| Post-Closing | 3:40 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Placing orders at the determined closing price |
Understanding these trading sessions helps traders to plan and align their strategies with market behavior and make informed trading decisions.
What Are Market Timings of Indian Stock Market Sessions?
Market timings of the Indian stock market operate through three major sessions. The sessions are Pre-Open Session, Regular Market Hours, and Post-Market Session.
Pre-Open Session (9:00 AM – 9:15 AM)
Pre-Open session allows the exchange to collect orders and match demand with supply to determine an equilibrium opening price and to stabilize volatility caused by overnight global news. During this phase, traders can modify or cancel the orders, while the exchange matches demand and supply to determine the opening price.
This 15-minute window includes
| Time (IST) | Activity |
| 9:00 – 9:08 | Traders actively place, modify, or cancel orders as the exchange gathers demand and supply data |
| 9:08 – 9:12 | Orders are matched electronically to calculate the equilibrium opening price based on supply–demand balance |
| 9:12 – 9:15 | A brief transition phase where systems stabilize and prepare for smooth regular market opening |
Regular Market Hours (9:15 AM – 3:30 PM)
It is the core trading window of the Indian stock market, during which the securities are traded live in the market based on real-time supply and demand. All major trading activities, such as intraday trades, delivery-based transactions, and institutional participation takes place in these sessions.
Price movement during this session forms key technical levels and official closing price, which serves as an important benchmark for analysis.
Post-Market Session (3:30 PM – 4:00 PM)
Post-Market Session allows traders and investors to place orders after the regular trading hours based on the closing price determined by exchange. During this phase no price discovery occurs because the trades are executed based on the final closing price of the day.
These sessions are primarily used by investors who prefer end-of-day execution and plan position for the next trading session without exposure to intraday volatility.
These 30-minutes window include
| Time (IST) | Activity |
| 3:30 – 3:40 PM | Exchange computes the official closing price based on regular market trades |
| 3:40 – 4:00 PM | Traders can place orders for the next day at the determined closing price (CP order window) |
There are some non-regular trading sessions conducted by NSE and BSE on special occasions like festivals, system testing, or large-volume transactions. These sessions are not part of daily trading but occur occasionally.
Stock Market Timings for Derivatives (F&O)
Derivative trading which includes futures and options follows the same structured market sessions as the equity market to ensure efficient price discovery and smooth execution. .
| Session | Time (IST) | Key Activity |
| Pre-Open Session | 9:00 AM – 9:15 AM | Order placement, modification, price discovery |
| Regular Trading | 9:15 AM – 3:30 PM | Live trading of equity and index futures & options |
| Post-Market Session | 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM | Orders can be placed at the closing price (CP order window) |
Understanding these timings helps traders plan entry, exit, and risk management strategies for option trading and intraday and positional trades in F&O markets.
Stock Market Timings for Currency Market (Forex)
Currency markets are open 24X5 globally, but in India, currency markets follow fixed exchange timings as per RBI, allowing traders to trade in INR and global currency pairs on NSE and BSE.
| Session | Time (IST) | Key Activity |
| INR Currency Pairs | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | USD/INR, EUR/INR, GBP/INR, JPY/INR |
| Cross-Currency Pairs | 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM | EUR/USD, GBP/USD |
| OTC Spot Forex | 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM | Bank-based spot forex trades |
These regulated timings balance global forex opportunities with India’s risk and compliance framework where liquidity improves in European sessions.
Block Deal & Pre-Open Auctions Timings
Block deals ( a large institutional orders) and pre-open auctions in the Indian stock market happen before regular trading sessions. This ensures orderly price discovery for large trades and initial order matching.
| Segment | Exchange | Session | Time (IST) | Key Rules / Notes |
| Block Deals (Morning) | NSE / BSE | Morning Window | 8:45 AM – 9:00 AM | Minimum ₹5 Cr or 5 lakh shares; price within ±1% of previous close |
| Block Deals (Afternoon) | NSE / BSE | Afternoon Window | 2:05 PM – 2:20 PM | Reference price based on VWAP (1:00–2:00 PM); trade reporting within 15 minutes |
| Pre-Open Auction | NSE | Pre-Open Session | 9:00 AM – 9:15 AM | Order entry: 9:00–9:08, matching: 9:08–9:12, buffer: 9:12–9:15 |
These dedicated sessions allow large investors to execute big orders efficiently without disturbing the market stability and transparency.
NSE Market Timings
NSE Market Timings are carefully structured to ensure smooth price discovery, efficient order matching, and disciplined market closure across all the segments, such as equities, derivatives, and currency segments. Each session plays a critical role in how prices evolve during the trading day.
| Session | Time (IST) | Key Activity |
| Pre-Open Session | 9:00 AM – 9:15 AM | Order placement, modification, and price discovery |
| Regular Trading | 9:15 AM – 3:30 PM | Live trading of equities and index futures & options |
| Closing Session | 3:40 PM – 4:00 PM | Closing price calculation and settlement |
| Block Deal Window (Morning) | 8:45 AM – 9:00 AM | Large block trades at negotiated prices |
| Block Deal Window (Afternoon) | 2:05 PM – 2:20 PM | Large block trades based on VWAP rules |
This timing helps traders to align their strategies with the market behavior.
BSE Market Timings
BSE market timings are designed to ensure smooth price discovery, execution, and a structured market closer across equity and derivatives segments. BSE market timings closely mirror NSE, making it easier for traders and investors to operate in both the exchanges seamlessly.
| Session | Time (IST) | Key Activity |
| Pre-Open Session | 9:00 AM – 9:15 AM | Order placement, modification, and price discovery |
| Regular Trading | 9:15 AM – 3:30 PM | Live trading of equities and index futures & options |
| Closing Session | 3:40 PM – 4:00 PM | Closing price calculation and settlement |
| Block Deal Window (Morning) | 8:45 AM – 9:00 AM | Large block trades at negotiated prices |
| Block Deal Window (Afternoon) | 2:05 PM – 2:20 PM | Large block trades based on VWAP rules |
Familiarity with these timings ensures traders can participate effectively and avoid missing critical market moves.
MCX Market Timings
MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange) timings are structured in a manner to align with both domestic demand and global commodity market movements. MCX market timings are comparatively longer than equity markets, allowing traders to react to international price change, especially in metals, energy, and bullion. In MCX, non-agri commodities like gold, silver, and energy trade longer than agri ones. All times exclude holidays.
Non- Agricultural Commodities Trading Hours
| Session | Standard Time | DST Period (Nov-Mar) |
| Morning | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Evening | 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM | 5:00 PM – 11:55 PM |
Agricultural Commodities Trading Hours
| Type | Trading Hours |
| Most Agri | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Intl-Linked Agri | 9:00 AM – 9:00/9:30 PM |
These timings help commodity traders plan their trades and monitor price movements across metals, energy, and other commodities.
NCDEX Market Timings
The National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) primarily focuses on the agricultural commodities and offers a structured trading window so that the farmers, traders and investors can find the prices and execute their orders effectively.
| Session | Standard Time | Key Commodities |
| Morning Session | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Most agricultural commodities |
| Evening Session | 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM | Internationally linked agricultural commodities (e.g., soy, cotton, sugar) |
Understanding NCDEX market timings allows traders to plan entries and exits effectively, track domestic and international commodity price movements, and align their strategies with market liquidity patterns for better execution and risk management.
ICEX Market Timings
Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX) is a specialized exchange that deals with diamond and other selected commodities. Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX) provides structured windows for price discovery, efficient trading as well as risk management. ICEX trading hours have been designed to meet the domestic market operations as well as the international price trends on internationally related commodities.
| Session | Standard Time | Key Commodities |
| Morning Session | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Diamonds and other select commodities |
| Evening Session | 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM | Internationally linked commodities (if applicable) |
Understanding ICEX market timings helps traders optimize their strategies in specialized commodities, capture global price movements, and execute trades efficiently in a regulated and transparent environment.
GIFT City Market Timings
GIFT City (Gujarat International Financial Services Centre) is an international financial services centre (IFSC), which trades in equities, currency, derivatives, and commodities to both the local and international investors. It has market timings that match with the international market, and provides players in various time zones with an extended trading time.
Session | Time (IST) | Key Activity
| Session | Standard Time | Key Instruments |
| Pre-Open Session | 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Order placement, price discovery, and pre-market adjustments |
| Regular Trading Session | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Trading in equities, derivatives, and currency products |
| Post-Market Session | 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Orders at closing price, settlements, and adjustments |
GIFT City market timing helps investors to strategically plan their trades with international markets in mind which provide better opportunities for price discovery, risk management, and efficient execution across multiple asset classes
Indian Stock Market Holiday List 2026
Indian stock market holiday list 2026 is given below as per the NSE and BSE along with festival dates and day.
| Date | Day | Description | Type |
| 26-Jan-2026 | Monday | Republic Day | Full-day market holiday |
| 15-Feb-2026 | Sunday | Mahashivratri (falls on weekend) | Weekend/Market closed |
| 03-Mar-2026 | Tuesday | Holi | Full-day market holiday |
| 21-Mar-2026 | Saturday | Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramadan Eid) (falls on weekend) | Weekend/Market closed |
| 26-Mar-2026 | Thursday | Shri Ram Navami | Full-day market holiday |
| 31-Mar-2026 | Tuesday | Shri Mahavir Jayanti | Full-day market holiday |
| 03-Apr-2026 | Friday | Good Friday | Full-day market holiday |
| 14-Apr-2026 | Tuesday | Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti | Full-day market holiday |
| 01-May-2026 | Friday | Maharashtra Day | Full-day market holiday |
| 28-May-2026 | Thursday | Bakri-Id | Full-day market holiday |
| 26-Jun-2026 | Friday | Muharram | Full-day market holiday |
| 15-Aug-2026 | Saturday | Independence Day (falls on weekend) | Weekend/Market closed |
| 14-Sep-2026 | Monday | Ganesh Chaturthi | Full-day market holiday |
| 02-Oct-2026 | Friday | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti | Full-day market holiday |
| 20-Oct-2026 | Tuesday | Dussehra | Full-day market holiday |
| 08-Nov-2026 | Sunday | Diwali Laxmi Pujan (falls on weekend) | Weekend/Market closed (Muhurat Trading scheduled) |
| 10-Nov-2026 | Tuesday | Diwali – Balipratipada | Full-day market holiday |
| 24-Nov-2026 | Tuesday | Prakash Gurpurb Sri Guru Nanak Dev | Full-day market holiday |
| 25-Dec-2026 | Friday | Christmas | Full-day market holiday |
Indian Stock Market vs Global Stock Market Timings
Global stock markets operate in different time zones, creating overlapping and non-overlapping trading windows that directly influence liquidity, volatility, and capital flows. Comparing Indian stock market timings with the world’s largest exchanges helps traders understand how global cues, overnight movements, and international sessions impact Indian markets.
Given below in the table is the comparison of Indian Stock Market with global market timings.
| Stock Market | Exchange | Local Trading Hours | Trading Hours (IST – Approx.) | Key Insight |
| India | NSE / BSE | 9:15 AM – 3:30 PM | 9:15 AM – 3:30 PM | Largely reacts to Asian cues and early European sentiment |
| United States | NYSE / NASDAQ | 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM (ET) | 7:00 PM – 1:30 AM | Strong influence on next-day Indian market openings |
| United Kingdom | London Stock Exchange (LSE) | 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (GMT) | 1:30 PM – 10:00 PM | Overlaps with Indian afternoon session |
| Japan | Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (JST) | 5:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Provides early Asian market cues before India opens |
| China | Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) | 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM (CST) | 7:00 AM – 12:30 PM | Impacts Asian sentiment and commodity-linked stocks |
Understanding how Indian stock market timings align with major global markets helps traders anticipate global cues, track overlapping sessions, and better prepare for volatility.
What are Special Trading sessions in the Indian Stock Market?
Special trading sessions in the Indian stock market are non-regular market sessions conducted by NSE and BSE on specific occasions, such as Muhurat Trading, testing systems and disaster recovery protocols.
What is Muhurat Trading?
Muhurat trading is a special trading session conducted by the Indian stock exchanges on the occasion of Diwali. It is marked as a Hindu New Year (Samvat) and considered auspicious for making investments.
Muhurat trading is usually conducted in the evening hours for around one hour. The market open during Muhurat Trading includes equity cash, equity derivatives, currency and commodity market.
System Testing
NSE and BSE occasionally conduct mock or special live sessions to test the new software upgrades, trading mechanisms, or regulatory changes before full-scale implementation. These sessions do not have any specific timings and date, and are scheduled only when required.
Pre-Open Special Sessions (Event-Driven)
Pre-Open special sessions are used during the major or unexpected events, such as important announcements from the government, world shocks, or major company activities, to maintain the market calm and orderly at the opening. In such a situation, NSE or BSE can modify or extend the pre-open session to receive buyers and sellers orders first and then decide a fair opening price.
All these sessions are non-symbolic and are primarily aimed at ensuring market stability, technical robustness, and investor protection rather than active trading opportunities.
Can I Buy Stocks before 9:15 AM?
Yes, you can buy stocks before 9:15 AM during the Pre-Open Session (9:00 AM – 9:15 AM) in the Indian stock market.
During this session, traders and investors can place, modify and cancel orders, but the orders won’t execute immediately. Exchanges use these orders to match demand and supply and determine equilibrium opening price, where all the matched order executes at 9:15 AM.
This facility is mainly used for price discovery and to reduce volatility caused by overnight news, making it more suitable for investors than for active intraday traders.
Can I Buy Stocks after 3:30 PM?
Yes, you can buy stocks after 3:30 PM, but trades won’t execute immediately.
The Indian stock market enters Post-Market session after 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM. During this period, you can place orders based on the closing price determined by the exchange. No live price movement or price discovery occurs in this session.
You can also place After Market Orders (AMOs) after 4:00 PM through your broker. These requests are sent to the exchange to execute it on the next trading day, typically during the pre-open or regular market hours.
Is the Stock Market Open on Saturday and Sunday?
No, the Indian stock market (NSE and BSE) remains closed on Saturday and Sundays.
Both the exchanges operate only from monday to friday, with no trading sessions on saturdays and sundays to allow for settlement, data processing and global market alignment. Orders made during the weekends stay at the orders place as pending and are executed on the open of the Monday on the basis of price.
However, Muhurat Trading during Diwali is the only exception where the concept of weekend holiday does not apply, but that is a special one-hour session, not a normal market day.
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