UPI moment for markets: In 21 yrs, Sebi shortened trade settlements to T+1

The T+1 hour trade settlement cycle will put India at the top of the settlement deck among the prominent stock markets

Stock trading has come a long way. From the trading plus five-day (T+5) settlement cycle, when shares were held and traded in physical format, equity trading cycles have become shorter, and trades are now settled in T+1 day.

The latest proposal by the market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, or Sebi, is to usher in a one hour, or T+1 hour, trade-settlement cycle. Starting March 2024, if all goes to plan, either the securities or the money  — depending on whether one is the buyer or the seller — will be deposited in a trader’s account within an