Forex session times in India by date
Each row is one stretch between clock changes, on IST.
| Period | London | New York | Overlap | Tokyo | Sydney | Week opens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Now → 25 Oct 2026 | 12:30 – 21:30 | 17:30 – 02:30 (next day) | 17:30 – 21:30 | 05:30 – 14:30 | 01:30 – 10:30 | Mon 02:30 |
| 25 Oct 2026 → 1 Nov 2026 London's clocks go back to GMT | 13:30 – 22:30 | 17:30 – 02:30 (next day) | 17:30 – 22:30 | 05:30 – 14:30 | 01:30 – 10:30 | Mon 02:30 |
| 1 Nov 2026 → 14 Mar 2027 New York's clocks go back to EST | 13:30 – 22:30 | 18:30 – 03:30 (next day) | 18:30 – 22:30 | 05:30 – 14:30 | 01:30 – 10:30 | Mon 03:30 |
| 14 Mar 2027 → 28 Mar 2027 New York's clocks go forward to EDT | 13:30 – 22:30 | 17:30 – 02:30 (next day) | 17:30 – 22:30 | 05:30 – 14:30 | 01:30 – 10:30 | Mon 02:30 |
| 28 Mar 2027 → 3 Apr 2027 London's clocks go forward to BST | 12:30 – 21:30 | 17:30 – 02:30 (next day) | 17:30 – 21:30 | 05:30 – 14:30 | 01:30 – 10:30 | Mon 02:30 |
| 3 Apr 2027 → 2 Oct 2027 Sydney's clocks go back to AEST | 12:30 – 21:30 | 17:30 – 02:30 (next day) | 17:30 – 21:30 | 05:30 – 14:30 | 02:30 – 11:30 | Mon 02:30 |
| 2 Oct 2027 → 18 Oct 2027 Sydney's clocks go forward to AEDT | 12:30 – 21:30 | 17:30 – 02:30 (next day) | 17:30 – 21:30 | 05:30 – 14:30 | 01:30 – 10:30 | Mon 02:30 |
Why the times move, and what changes next
The sessions move on IST whenever New York, London or Sydney changes its clocks. Each row is one stretch between changes over the next twelve months.
Right now until 25 Oct 2026: London 12:30–21:30 IST, New York 17:30–02:30 (next day), both open 17:30–21:30; the week opens Monday 02:30 IST. From 25 Oct 2026 (London's clocks go back to GMT): London 13:30–22:30, New York 17:30–02:30 (next day), overlap 17:30–22:30.
Trading forex from India: NSE hours and RBI rules
From 6 official sources, checked 8 October 2026.
What the official sources say
Under FEMA, the RBI says residents may undertake forex transactions only with authorised persons and for permitted purposes, and may trade forex electronically only on RBI-authorised electronic trading platforms or on recognised exchanges (NSE, BSE and MSE). It warns that residents who deal on unauthorised platforms can face penal action under FEMA, and that remitting margin to overseas exchanges or counterparties is not permitted under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme.
On NSE, rupee currency futures and options (USD-INR, EUR-INR, GBP-INR and JPY-INR) trade Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00 IST. Cross-currency futures and options (EUR-USD, GBP-USD and USD-JPY) used to trade until 19:30 IST; NSE moved their close to 17:00 IST in March 2020 and kept it there "till further notice" (circular NSE/CD/44122, 14 April 2020), the circular its contract specification still cites. Both close before the London–New York overlap begins on Indian time.
The RBI also publishes an Alert List of entities that are authorised neither to deal in forex nor to run forex trading platforms, including websites that promote them. The RBI says the list is not exhaustive: a name missing from it does not mean the RBI has authorised it.
This is a summary of public sources, not legal or tax advice. Rules and hours change: check with your regulator, and with your broker, before you open an account.
- NSE: currency derivatives contract specification (INR pairs), checked 8 October 2026
- NSE: cross-currency contract specification, checked 8 October 2026
- NSE circular NSE/CD/41181, 31 May 2019 (market timings), checked 8 October 2026
- NSE circular NSE/CD/44122, 14 April 2020 (cross-currency hours), checked 8 October 2026
- RBI: Foreign Exchange (Forex) Transactions FAQs, checked 8 October 2026
- RBI: Alert List, checked 8 October 2026
Forex session times in India: January and July
Each city's business day on its own clock, converted to IST for a mid-January and a mid-July day.
| Session (local hours) | IST, mid-January (UTC+5:30) | IST, mid-July (UTC+5:30) |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney 07:00–16:00 | 01:30 – 10:30 | 02:30 – 11:30 |
| Tokyo 09:00–18:00 | 05:30 – 14:30 | 05:30 – 14:30 |
| London 08:00–17:00 | 13:30 – 22:30 | 12:30 – 21:30 |
| New York 08:00–17:00 | 18:30 – 03:30 (next day) | 17:30 – 02:30 (next day) |
Session overlaps in India
London–New York, and the shorter Sydney–Tokyo and Tokyo–London overlaps, on IST.
| Overlap | Mid-January | Mid-July |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney + Tokyo | 05:30 – 10:30 (5 h) | 05:30 – 11:30 (6 h) |
| Tokyo + London | 13:30 – 14:30 (1 h) | 12:30 – 14:30 (2 h) |
| London + New York | 18:30 – 22:30 (4 h) | 17:30 – 21:30 (4 h) |
Why London–New York, with the source
London and New York overlap when the two largest trading locations' business days coincide; the UK alone handled 38% of global FX turnover in April 2025 (BIS). That is a fact about volume by location, not a forecast for any pair or hour.
Best time to trade forex in India
The London–New York overlap: the two largest FX trading locations, both in their business day.
The times, and the limits
If you want the hours when the two largest FX trading locations are both in their business day, trade the London–New York overlap: 18:30–22:30 IST in mid-January and 17:30–21:30 IST in mid-July; this week's dated times are in the first table on this page. No window is best for every pair, strategy or news day, so check the spread and the economic calendar before relying on it.
Weekly open and close in India
Sunday 17:00 to Friday 17:00 New York time, read on IST.
| Weekly | Mid-January | Mid-July |
|---|---|---|
| Opens (Sunday 17:00 New York) | Monday 03:30 | Monday 02:30 |
| Closes (Friday 17:00 New York) | Saturday 03:30 | Saturday 02:30 |
Broker hours, with a source
The week runs from Sunday 17:00 to Friday 17:00 New York time. Brokers differ by minutes: OANDA lists 17:05 to 16:59 with a daily 16:59–17:05 break (OANDA, checked 7 October 2026).
Does daylight saving change forex hours in India?
India stays on UTC+5:30 all year.
How the clock changes move the sessions
The session times on this clock still move by an hour, because New York, London and Sydney change their clocks, on different dates. The live clock above applies every change for today's date.