EN
Knowing the share market timings is an important part of investing, as it helps investors place trades at the right moment and avoid unnecessary delays. Market opening and closing hours differ across countries and exchanges, and even within India, trading follows fixed daily sessions. Understanding when the market opens, closes, and pauses allows investors to better track price movements and make timely decisions in changing market conditions.
Key Takeaways
-
Indian stock exchanges are closed on weekends and certain exchange-specific public holidays.
-
Executed in a separate window to minimise impact on regular market prices.
-
Extended trading sessions, including aftermarket orders, enable investors to schedule trades after regular market hours.
-
Special sessions, such as Muhurat trading, take place on festival days and are solely symbolic rather than part of daily trading.
What are the Indian Stock Market Timings?
The Indian stock market timings follow a fixed daily routine that tells investors when they can buy or sell shares. Trading does not happen randomly throughout the day. Instead, the market opens at a set time, runs for a few hours, and then closes, with short sessions before and after the main trading period. These timings are the same across major Indian exchanges and apply to all working days, except market holidays. Knowing these time slots helps investors plan trades better, avoid confusion, and understand when price movements are most active.
Share market timings for BSE and NSE
The markets start with a pre-open session.
The pre-open session is for 15 minutes. This session constitutes the order entry period and the order matching period.
This session is divided into three sub-sessions.
9.00 am -9.08 am: This is known as the order entry session. During this period you are allowed to place an order to buy and sell stocks. You can also modify your order or cancel your order during this time.
9.08 am-9.12 am: This session is used for matching orders. It is also used to calculate the opening price of the regular session. Investors are not allowed to modify or cancel their orders during this period; neither can they buy or sell.
9.12 am to 9.15 am: This session is used as the buffer period for a seamless transition of the pre-opening session to the regular session.
Note: Starting December 8, 2025, the NSE has implemented a pre-open session for the F&O market, similar to equities. This session, which runs from 9:00 AM to 9:15 AM, allows for order entry and derivative price discovery before normal trading begins.
Continuous trading session: When it comes to share market timings, this is the trading session when most of the buying and selling takes place. So, this is the primary share market trading time. The continuous trading session is from 9.15 am to 3.30 pm. During this period trades are continuous as orders match at time/price priority. Whenever the buying price is equal to the selling price, the transaction is complete.
Here are a few things to understand when it comes to this session.
- The closing price of the stock is calculated as the weighted average of the prices of stocks between 3.00-3.30 pm.
- For BSE and NSE, the closing price is calculated as a weighted average of the stocks in the index for the last 30 minutes or the period between 3.00 pm to 3.30 pm.
Post-closing session: This session is between 3.40 pm and 4.00 pm.
Investors are allowed to buy or sell stocks in this session at the closing price. If buyers or sellers are available, your trade is confirmed at the closing price.
Block deal timings: A separate trading window is available to facilitate the execution of large trades.
The morning block deal window is from 8.45 am to 9 am.
The afternoon block deal window is open from 2.05 to 2.20 pm.
We have now seen the share market timings; you can now make the most out of your investments in the stock market.
See the Following Table of Stock Market Timing for Clarification [H2]
|
Market Segment |
Opening Time |
Closing Time |
|
Block Deal Window (Morning) |
08:45 AM |
09:00 AM |
|
Pre-Open Session |
9:00 AM |
9:15 AM |
|
Normal Trading Session |
9:15 AM |
3:30 PM |
|
Closing Session |
3:30 PM |
3:40 PM |
Please note that this table represents the regular trading hours for the Indian stock market, which are subject to change due to holidays, special trading sessions, or other factors. It's always a good practice to verify the current trading hours with the relevant stock exchange or your brokerage.
Also Read, What is Stock Exchange
Aftermarket Orders
Aftermarket orders, also known as After-Hours orders or Off-Hours orders, are buy or sell orders placed on the Indian stock market outside of regular trading hours. In India, the regular trading hours for most stock exchanges are typically from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM. on business days.
In India, Aftermarket Orders (AMO) are accepted beyond normal market hours, but they're queued for execution when the market opens or during post-market price discovery intervals, unlike continuous trading.
Muhurat Trading
Muhurat trading is a special and auspicious trading session that takes place on the occasion of Diwali. It is a significant event for all participants in the stock market. Traders would do customary trading to mark the beginning of a prosperous new year. Muhurat trading is typically conducted in the evening and lasts for about an hour.
Also Read, How the Stock Market Works?
