GIFT NIFTY Live

What is Gift Nifty?

Gift Nifty is US-dollar denominated derivative futures contracts linked to India’s Nifty50 indices. Gift Nifty contracts are traded on NSE International Exchange (NSE IX) in GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. It actually replaces the very famous SGX Nifty derivatives contracts that used to be traded on Singapore Exchange.

Gift Nifty is for global investors, who want to access the Indian stock market. The transition from SGX Nifty to GIFT Nifty bought the entire offshore nifty derivatives ecosystem under India’s regulatory umbrella.

This transition strengthens India’s position as a global financial hub and gives international investors a direct gateway to trade Nifty derivatives.

Who Trades in GIFT Nifty?

GIFT Nifty is majorly used by hedge funds, institutional investors, and many other international market participants. They use Gift Nifty contracts to hedge the risk and also to take directional bets on Nifty.

Any foreign or Indian trading member, operating through a branch office or a subsidiary can trade on NSE International Exchange after obtaining membership.

However, Indian retail investors are not allowed to trade in Gift Nifty due to the Liberalised Remittance Scheme.

GIFT Nifty Timings in India

GIFT Nifty operates on the NSE International Exchange (NSE IX) for 21 hours in a day. This 21 hour session is divided into two sessions. As per Indian Standard Time, the first session timings are 6:30 am to 3:40 pm and second session is 4:35 pm to 2:45 am.

GIFT Nifty trades remain open for extended hours, allowing Indian retail investors to check the Nifty50 price before the Indian market opens.

GIFT Nifty timings coincide with Asian, European and US trading sessions allowing all non-residents to take the advantage of Indian markets liquidity.

How GIFT Nifty is Useful For Retail Investors?

GIFT Nifty is very useful for retail as well as domestic institutional investors. The price ticks of GIFT Nifty derivatives shows an early sign for Nifty50 opening sentiment. It helps retail investors be prepared with the ongoing trend. Also, helps to see the investors reaction if any global events are scheduled after the Indian markets closed.

GIFT Nifty is a futures contract so, at the beginning of the month, it trades at a premium price. As the expiry days come near, the price adjusts itself and begins to match the price of Indian Nifty50 spot.

Gifty Nifty is very helpful, when a big gap-up or gap-down is expected in the markets. Gift Nifty gives the idea of how much gap-up or gap-down is possible. Without GIFT Nifty ticks, the retail investors can suddenly panic after a major gap-down, which can trigger a domino effect.

How GIFT Nifty is Useful for FPIs and NRIs?

For Foreign institutional investors and Non-residents of India, GIFT Nifty not only provides exposure to Indian markets, but also provides tax efficiency. As per current IFSC regulations (November 2025) eligible foreign investors enjoy:

1. Zero Capital Gains Tax: No tax on profits from derivative trading.
2. Zero GST and STT: Securities transaction tax and Goods and services tax are waived off.
3. Dollar Denominations: Gift Nifty contracts are settled in US dollar terms, eliminating the currency fluctuation risk for foreign funds.

Difference Between SGX Nifty and GIFT Nifty

The underlying asset remains same for SGX Nifty and GIFT Nifty, but there are many other changes which is comparable:

| Feature | GIFT Nifty (July 2023 – Present) | SGX Nifty (September 2000 – June 2023) | |------------------|-----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------| | Jurisdiction | GIFT City, Gujarat, India (IFSCA regulated) | Singapore (MAS regulated) | | Trading Hours | 21 hours in two trading sessions | 16 hours | | Settlement | USD cash settled | USD cash settled | | Execution Venue | NSE IX | Singapore Exchange | | Taxation | 100% tax-free for eligible FPIs | As per Singapore tax rules | | Liquidity Pool | Consolidated (Onshore and Offshore) | Fragmented (Offshore) |