The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has announced that six more stocks will be added to the futures and options (F&O) segment, starting April 1, 2026.
The six stocks that will join the F&O segment include Adani Power, Cochin Shipyard, Hyundai Motor India, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, Nippon Life India Asset Management, and Vishal Mega Mart, the exchange said in a circular issued on Monday evening.
The circular stated that the market lot and strike schemes for all six stocks will be announced on March 30. “The details of the applicable quantity freeze shall be available in the contract file, which shall be applicable for trading on April 01, 2026,” the circular read.
NSE’s move to add more stocks to the F&O segment is aimed at boosting market depth and liquidity and providing investors with a wider range of companies to trade in the derivatives market.
F&O trades are risky, and the government and capital market regulator Sebi have introduced several measures to discourage retail investors from entering the derivatives market.
According to a Sebi study, over 90 per cent of individual traders entering the F&O markets incurred losses in FY25. The study said that the net losses of individual traders widened by 41 per cent to Rs 1,05,603 crore in FY25 from Rs 74,812 crore in FY24.
Sebi, on its part, has also introduced a series of measures, like rationalisation of weekly derivatives, increase in contract size, higher margin requirements, and monitoring of intraday position limits, among others, to curb excessive speculation and enhance investor protection.
Meanwhile, the government has proposed to hike STT on futures contracts to 0.05 per cent from 0.02 per cent. Likewise, STT on options premium and exercise of options was proposed to be raised to 0.15 per cent from 0.1 per cent and 0.125 per cent, respectively. The proposals were made by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget for FY27. The increased rates will be applicable from April 1, 2026.
