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Gain a complete overview of share market timing in India, including session-wise schedules for NSE and BSE, pre-opening and post-closing hours, and key highlights every trader should know.
Understanding when and how the stock market operates is essential for anyone looking to trade or invest. In India, the share market follows a structured schedule, allowing investors to plan their activities effectively. This article breaks down the trading hours, session timings, and other time-based nuances related to NSE and BSE operations.
The Indian stock market operates from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM on weekdays. During this time, traders can buy and sell shares. This window, known as the normal trading session, uses a bilateral order matching system, where buy and sell orders at the same price are matched and executed.
The market remains closed on weekends and certain public holidays. It follows a structured schedule comprising three key segments to facilitate smooth trading operations.
The Indian share market is divided into three key sessions that help streamline the buying and selling process:
This session serves to absorb overnight news and updates that may affect prices. It ensures price stability when the regular session begins.
This is when the bulk of trading activity occurs in the market. All buy and sell orders are matched and executed during this time.
This session allows traders to place orders at the day’s closing price (Trade-at-Close orders), which may get executed if matched.
These well-defined trading sessions ensure a smooth, transparent, and orderly functioning of the Indian stock market, allowing investors to plan and execute their trades with clarity and confidence.
The table below summarizes the standard trading schedule followed in both NSE and BSE:
Session |
Time Slot |
Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Pre-Opening |
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM |
Order collection, matching, and price discovery |
Normal Trading |
9:15 AM – 3:30 PM |
Regular buy/sell trades |
Post-Closing |
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM |
Trade-at-closing-price orders & closing calculations |
All timings are in Indian Standard Time (IST), and are uniform for both NSE and BSE exchanges.
Knowing the share market timings helps investors make timely and informed decisions. With clearly defined sessions across NSE and BSE, traders can better plan their strategies and manage their trades efficiently.
This content is for informational purposes only and the same should not be construed as investment advice. Bajaj Finserv Direct Limited shall not be liable or responsible for any investment decision that you may take based on this content.
The share market opens at 9:15 AM IST for regular trading. However, pre-market activity begins at 9:00 AM, where traders can place orders that are queued for execution once the market opens.
Yes, both NSE (National Stock Exchange) and BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) follow the same market timings for all sessions including pre-opening, normal, and post-closing periods.
Yes, you can place After Market Orders (AMO) using your broker’s platform, which are queued and processed when the market opens the next day. However, these are not real-time trades and get executed only when the market opens.
No, both NSE and BSE remain closed on weekends (Saturday and Sunday). Trading is only available from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
No, the regular trading session ends at 3:30 PM. Orders placed after this time fall into the post-closing or AMO (After Market Order) category.
Yes, but only during the pre-opening session (9:00 AM to 9:08 AM), where you can place or modify orders. These get matched and finalized during the price discovery phase and are executed when the market opens at 9:15 AM.
No, you cannot buy shares for the current trading day after 4:00 PM. However, you can place After Market Orders post 4 PM, which are executed at the next day’s market open.
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