Forex Market Timings in India

Q: Is the forex market open 24 hours in India?

Globally, the forex market operates 24 hours a day, five days a week, but that does not mean every instrument is equally active at all times. For traders in India, forex market timings in India span from the Asian open on Monday morning IST to the New York close early on Saturday morning IST.

Q: Which forex time zone should Indian traders follow?

Many Indian traders follow GMT or UTC as a reference forex time zone, then convert that into IST for their own planning. You can also use a forex time zone converter to see which global sessions are open relative to your local time and identify the best forex session time India for your routine.

Q: What time does the forex market open?

The global forex market is open 24 hours a day, five days a week, but the "opening time" depends on the specific currency pairs and time zone. For example, the Tokyo session opens at midnight GMT, the London session opens at 8 a.m. GMT, and the New York session opens at 1 p.m. GMT. In India, local INR pairs open at 9:00 AM IST, while cross-currency pairs are available until 7:30 PM IST.

Q: What time is the forex market open in IST?

In India, the Forex market for INR currency pairs starts at 9:00 AM IST and closes at 5:00 PM IST, Monday to Friday. Cross-currency derivative contracts can be traded from 9:00 AM IST to 7:30 PM IST.

Forex Market Timings in India and Best Time to Trade

Forex market timings tell you when the major global trading sessions are open and how those hours convert into Indian Standard Time (IST). The forex market runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, but liquidity and volatility change from one session to another, so for traders in India, understanding forex market timings in India helps you choose the most suitable forex trading time in India. Because the foreign exchange market is an over-the-counter (OTC) market rather than a centralised exchange, there is no single bell that defines the forex maket opening time, and trading simply rolls through different forex time zones as banks and institutions in Asia, Europe and North America open for business.

What are Forex Market Timings?

Forex market timings describe how forex trading follows the business day around the world, starting in the Asia-Pacific region and then moving through Europe to North America in a rolling forex time zone structure. Forex trading typically opens late on Sunday evening and continues until late Friday night, with prices streaming almost continuously during the week. If you are new to forex trading in India, you can also read TMGM’s forex trading in India article.

The four major forex trading sessions most traders watch are Sydney, Tokyo (Asian), London and New York.

Forex market timings in India are based on IST, which is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT. Below are the approximate session timings that Indian traders typically follow on global forex platforms:

Sydney session: 10:30 pm to 7:30 am IST
Asian session time in India: 5:30 am to 2:30 pm IST
London session forex time in India: 1:30 pm to 10:30 pm IST
New York session time in India: 6:30 pm to 3:30 am IST

These windows show you when each major region is most active across the trading week, helping you quickly see the forex market opening time in India for every major session.

Asian Session Forex Time in India

Asian session forex time in India runs roughly from 5:30 am to 2:30 pm IST. This session is driven by Tokyo and other Asia-Pacific centres, and pairs linked to the Japanese yen, Australian dollar and New Zealand dollar often see more activity while volatility is usually lower than during London and New York.

London Session Forex Time in India

London session forex time in India runs from about 1:30 pm to 10:30 pm IST. London is the largest forex trading hub in the world, so this session usually offers high liquidity, especially in major pairs such as EUR/USD and GBP/USD. Because trading volume is heavy, spreads on many pairs are often tighter; you can review typical conditions in TMGM’s forex spreads guide and its overview of the best currency pairs to trade.

However, this session is also known for its volatility, offering opportunities for traders aiming to benefit from price fluctuations during their preferred forex trading time in India.

New York Session Time in India

New York session time in India is roughly 6:30 pm to 3:30 am IST. The most active period is usually the first few hours, when New York overlaps with the end of the London session, creating some of the busiest forex market timings of the day for many USD pairs and gold.

What is the Best Forex Trading Time in India?

The best forex trading time in India is usually when two major sessions overlap, because this is when liquidity and volatility are both high. For many traders, that means the London–New York overlap, roughly 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm IST, which falls conveniently in the Indian evening.

If you prefer slower markets, you might choose the early Asian hours instead and then adjust your plan as you see which forex market timings in India suit your style.

How do Forex Market Timings Affect Volatility and Spreads?

Forex market timings affect volatility and spreads because trading volume is not evenly distributed through the day. When major markets are open and overlapping, activity usually increases and spreads are often narrower on popular pairs.

Volatility is the size and speed of price moves, often measured in pips. Each session has its own volatility pattern, depending on local economic data and news releases. To prepare for more active forex market timings in India, many traders follow an economic calendar and market news and apply tools such as MACD, RSI and Fibonacci at the forex session time India they prefer.

How Can You Trade Different Forex Market Timings with TMGM?

On TMGM, you can access a wide range of currency pairs as CFDs and trade them across all major forex market timings. Forex trading on TMGM lets you speculate on price movements without owning the underlying currencies, while using platforms and tools designed for active traders.

Unlike shares on a centralised exchange, forex CFDs are traded in the OTC interbank market, so pricing is available throughout the trading week. TMGM aggregates quotes from multiple liquidity providers to offer competitive pricing during busy forex market timings in India and other regions.

You can choose from different account types with competitive spreads and margin requirements, and trade on MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5). If you rely on automated strategies that run across multiple sessions, TMGM’s Forex VPS can help keep your platform online with low latency, even when your local device is switched off.

Always consider local regulations and your own risk tolerance before trading, and remember that past market behaviour at certain times of day does not guarantee future results.