Lot Size
The fixed number of underlying units bundled into one F&O contract — set by the exchange, not the trader.
Current index F&O lot sizes
- NIFTY 50
- 65 unitsNSE · 50-point strikes
- BANK NIFTY
- 30 unitsNSE · 100-point strikes
- FIN NIFTY
- 60 unitsNSE · 50-point strikes
- SENSEX
- 20 unitsBSE · 100-point strikes
- BANKEX
- 30 unitsBSE · 100-point strikes
- Nifty Midcap Select
- See NSE contract noteNSE · revised often enough that printing a figure here would go stale
Read from DeltaK's own live engine configuration — the same constants the terminal sizes orders against. SEBI's periodic notional-value rationalization means exchanges revise these by circular, so confirm against the exchange's current contract specifications before sizing a real position.
Indian index options can't be bought or sold per-share the way equity delivery can — every order is in whole lots. The exchange periodically revises lot sizes to keep a contract's notional value inside SEBI's mandated band, which is why lot sizes have changed more than once for NIFTY, BANKNIFTY and FINNIFTY over the years. Always check the current lot size before sizing a position; a stale number from an old screenshot or an outdated blog post is a real way to over- or under-leverage a trade.
Because margin, brokerage and even STT are all calculated per lot rather than per share, lot size isn't just a sizing detail — it's the unit every other cost and risk figure on a position is built from, and getting it wrong cascades through every downstream calculation.
Example: at a lot size of 65, a 10-point move in NIFTY is worth ₹650 to a single-lot position, not ₹10 — the lot size is the multiplier that turns an index-point move into an actual rupee P&L, and it's the first number that goes into sizing any trade correctly.
Frequently asked
What is the lot size of NIFTY 50 options?
One NIFTY 50 options contract is 65 units. You cannot buy or sell a fraction of that — every F&O order is placed in whole lots, so 65 units is the smallest position possible.
What is the Bank Nifty lot size?
One BANK NIFTY contract is 30 units, with strikes listed 100 points apart. The exchange sets both figures, and revises them periodically to keep contract notional value inside SEBI's mandated band.
How is lot size different from freeze quantity?
Lot size is the smallest tradeable unit — the multiplier on a single contract. Freeze quantity is the largest number of units the exchange accepts in one order. Lot size sets your floor; freeze quantity sets your ceiling per order.
Why do F&O lot sizes keep changing?
SEBI requires each contract's notional value to sit inside a mandated band. As an index level rises or falls, the exchange revises the lot size by circular to bring notional value back into that band — which is why a lot size quoted in an older article is often no longer the live figure.
Related terms
See it read live, not just diagrammed
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