Bourses to start trading at 9 am from Jan. 4

Indian stock exchanges will start trading at 9 a.m. from Jan 4 instead of Dec 18, a joint statement by the main bourses said on Thursday.

Both the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) had been asked by the market regulator to agree on a suitable timings change.

"Based on the market feedback, it has been jointly decided by NSE and BSE that the revision of market open timing to 9 am shall be effective from January 4, 2010," the two bourses said in a joint statement.

"In the interim, the current market open timing of 9.55 am shall continue."