About GIFT NIFTY
Gift Nifty is a US-dollar-denominated derivative futures contract based on India’s flagship equity index, Nifty 50, and listed on the NSE International Exchange (NSE IX). It was launched on July 3, 2023, by the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) via the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at GIFT City, Gujarat. Under a connectivity arrangement between the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and NSE, Gift Nifty replaced the earlier offshore derivative contract known as SGX Nifty (which was traded on the Singapore Exchange). The Nifty 50 derivatives are based on the Nifty 50 Index as the underlying benchmark. The contracts are settled in U.S. Dollars ($) and are traded on the NSE International Exchange (NSE IX) located in GIFT City, Gujarat, India. Trading occurs in two sessions: Session I runs from 6: 30 AM to 3: 40 PM (IST), followed by a break from 3: 40 PM to 4: 35 PM (IST), and Session II continues from 4: 35 PM to 2: 45 AM (IST) the next day. These instruments are primarily designed for non-resident, global, and institutional investors, while Indian resident retail investors are restricted from participating.Gift Nifty provides global investors with a way to participate in India’s equity market derivatives while minimizing constraints such as currency risk, time zone differences, and regulatory barriers. Operating for nearly 21 hours and covering Asian, European, and U.S. trading sessions, it acts as a key indicator of how Indian markets might open, with traders using its movement to gauge Nifty’s pre-market behavior. Additionally, it enables India to consolidate a larger portion of Nifty-based derivatives trading within its own regulatory framework in GIFT City (IFSC), reducing dependence on foreign exchanges.;