What is the Commodity Market Timing in India for Trading

Apart from stocks that people usually invest and trade in, the commodity market is another marketplace for traders to consider. Commodities are traded worldwide, and it is essential to know the commodity market timings of the various location in the world before you start trading them.  

Here’s a guide on the commodity market hours in India for trading. 

What is a Commodity Market? 

A commodity market is a marketplace that allows traders and investors to buy, sell and trade raw materials. Commodities are separated into two categories: hard and soft commodities. 

1. Hard Commodities 

   1. These commodities consist of natural resources such as metal ores and oil reserves which require mining and drilling processes. These also include popular commodities like gold, silver, and copper. 

2. Soft Commodities

   1. The commodities market allows producers and consumers of commodity products to gain access in a centralised and liquid marketplace. They can also use commodities derivatives to hedge future consumption or production. 
   2. These commodities consist of agriculture products and livestock, which require them to be grown and cared for. 

What Are The Commodities Traded in India  

The commodities traded in the Indian Commodities Market can be classified as agricultural commodities (agri commodities) and non-agricultural commodities. The non-agricultural commodities are sub-classified into: bullion, energy, and base metals. 

Here are some examples of commodities that are traded in the commodity markets: 

• Agriculture Commodities: Black pepper, cardamom, castor seed, cotton, palm oil, kapas, wheat, paddy, chana, bajra, barley, sugar, and many more 
• Bullion: Gold and silver 

• Energy: Crude oil and natural gas 
• Base Metals: Aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc  

What is The Commodity Market Timing For Trading in India? 

The commodity market open to trading from Monday to Friday. The commodity market hours are much longer than the stock trading hours. In addition, the commodity market hours are separated into different market timings for different commodities. 

The timing in the table above is referenced from the MCX website ^[2] 

Here is the list of trading holidays where the exchange is closed: 

Ways to Trade Commodities In India 

In India, commodity trading usually occurs in derivative markets or spot markets. Users can trade commodities on most of the major commodity exchanges in India. 

1. Derivative Markets 

   1. In India, the commodity derivative market deals with derivative securities such as futures options. 
   2. Futures options trading guarantees that a certain commodity will be purchased or sold for a particular price at a predetermined date ^[1]. Traders using this to trade commodities often attempt to predict the commodity’s price movements. If they think the commodity’s price movement will move upwards, traders would then purchase futures options. When they believe the commodity’s price movement will move downwards, they will sell futures options instead. This is also known as going long or short in the trades. 

2. Spot Markets 

   1. The spot market is where traders go and exchange physical commodities. When traders decide to purchase the commodities with the spot market, they need to accept the delivery of the commodities. This is different from the futures market, where the trader can purchase the commodities first and decide whether to take the delivery or not before the settlement date. 
   2. Ready to get started with CFDs on commodities trading? Open a live account with Vantage in less than five minutes to start trading. Start trading precious metals and soft commodities CFDs using Vantage. You can access over 1000+ CFD instruments across various asset types on MT4 or MT5 with Vantage. If you’re not quite ready, hone your skills by practicing with a demo account first. 

• The information in this article, including the dates and timings, is subject to change from time to time. Vantage assumes no liability to the accuracy, completeness, suitability and timeliness of the information in this article. The content of the article is solely for educational purposes whereas the Company assumes no responsibility for the trading decisions.