India’s leading stock exchanges—the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)—have reportedly restricted access to their websites for overseas users as a cybersecurity precaution. However, this move does not impact actual trading by foreign investors.
India’s top stock exchanges—the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), both headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra—have taken precautionary action to restrict access to their websites for overseas users, according to sources familiar with the matter.
While this restriction has raised questions among global users and stakeholders, officials clarified that the measure does not impact trading by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) or other forms of overseas investment. Trading operations remain fully functional and accessible through designated channels.
A spokesperson for BSE Ltd, a major Market Infrastructure Institution (MII) in India, explained that the decision stemmed from routine cybersecurity risk assessments. “BSE proactively and continuously monitors risks at domestic and international levels for potential cyber threats,” the exchange said in a statement provided to Reuters.
According to BSE, based on their cyber traffic monitoring, “websites or locations are blocked as a precautionary and protective measure to safeguard users and critical infrastructure.” This implies a geolocation-based filtering approach to protect sensitive financial platforms from cyber attacks or unauthorized access from high-risk regions.
This step comes amid a broader global focus on strengthening financial cybersecurity in light of increasing cyber incidents targeting financial markets. While the exchanges have not detailed the specific regions or IPs blocked, market insiders suggest this is a proactive response to potential vulnerabilities rather than a reaction to an ongoing breach.
As financial markets digitize further, exchanges like NSE and BSE are placing growing emphasis on safeguarding their systems, particularly given their central role in India’s economy and capital markets. Both exchanges continue to assure seamless service to domestic users and regulated overseas investors.
