NSE International Exchange said on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) that it had extended trading to near round-the-clock hours to broaden access for overseas investors, Reuters reported. The longer session took effect on November 2 and extended total market operations to 23 hours and 30 minutes, with trading running from 3:15 am IST to 2:45 am IST the following day, giving participants access across Asian, European and US market hours.

Source: Reuters via The Hindu BusinessLine

"By enabling market access across all time zones, we are providing participants with greater flexibility and strengthening GIFT City's connectivity with global financial markets," said V. Balasubramaniam, managing director and chief executive officer of NSE International Exchange, in the exchange's statement reported by ANI. He described the extension to 23.5-hour trading as an important milestone in creating a globally accessible marketplace from GIFT City.

Source: ANI via Indian News Network

How the GIFT Nifty day now runs

For NSE IFSC Nifty 50 Index Futures, popularly known as GIFT Nifty, the morning pre-open session now starts at 5 am IST, followed by normal trading from 5:15 am to 3:40 pm, IANS reported. The pre-close session begins at 3:40 pm, with order collection until 3:50 pm and the session ending at 3:55 pm. The second session is unchanged: its pre-open starts at 3:58 pm and normal trading runs from 4:05 pm until 2:45 am IST the following day. NSEIX said it had successfully completed the first day of operations under the enhanced framework, and that the earlier opening lets participants react more efficiently to overnight developments in global markets before domestic trading begins in India. GIFT Nifty is closely tracked as an indicator of the likely opening trend of the benchmark Nifty index.

Source: IANS via NewKerala

What NSEIX is — and what did not change

NSE International Exchange was set up on June 5, 2017, in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) and is recognised by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), the exchange said. It is an international multi-asset exchange offering products including stock, index and currency derivatives, depository receipts and global stocks. The near-24-hour schedule applies to NSEIX's operations in GIFT City; it does not by itself extend the hours of the domestic equity market on the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai. The move is part of a wider push to position GIFT City as India's international finance hub, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters via The Hindu BusinessLine

Keeping a market open almost around the clock also depends on technology that can turn sessions around quickly: NSEIX said its systems can complete maintenance within 3 minutes between sessions and in less than 15 minutes at the end of the day, Reuters reported. The exchange said it would keep expanding international access and market infrastructure as it adapts to demand from global participants, and that the extended window is meant to help international investors manage risks and respond to global events across multiple time zones.

Source: ANI via Indian News Network