New Delhi, 03 November (H.S.): The NSE International Exchange (NSE IX), located in Gujarat’s GIFT City, has extended its daily trading hours to 23 hours and 30 minutes, leaving just a half-hour break in every 24-hour period. The new arrangement came into effect on Monday, enabling the exchange to operate almost round the clock.

According to a statement issued by the exchange, trading now begins at 3:15 am Indian Standard Time (IST) and continues uninterrupted until 2:45 am the following day. This means the exchange will remain operational throughout the day and night, except for a brief 30-minute interval reserved for technical maintenance.

The exchange will also implement its daily date change without interrupting trading. Accordingly, the date will automatically roll over at midnight while trading continues.

The primary objective of the move is to provide investors across different global time zones, particularly in Asia, Europe and the Americas, with access to a common platform for continuous trading. The extended trading window is expected to give international participants greater flexibility to respond promptly to significant developments and market movements worldwide, while enabling them to manage their financial risks more effectively.

The initiative is also being viewed as a significant step towards expanding NSE IX’s global reach and strengthening India’s position on the international financial map.

To ensure smooth operations during the extended trading window, the exchange has put in place advanced technological infrastructure. System maintenance between trading sessions is completed within just three minutes, while major technical updates carried out at the end of the trading day are completed in less than 15 minutes. These capabilities have enabled NSE IX to establish a new benchmark for near-continuous trading, five days a week, in the international market.

Welcoming the development, V. Balasubramaniam, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSE IX, said the extension of trading hours to 23.5 hours marked a significant milestone in GIFT City's efforts to establish itself as a globally accessible and interconnected marketplace.

He said the move would offer international investors greater flexibility in trading and further strengthen GIFT City's integration with global financial markets.

Established in 2017, NSE IX is an international multi-asset exchange that provides domestic and overseas investors with access to a range of financial products, including single-stock derivatives, index derivatives, currency derivatives and global stocks.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar