The National Stock Exchange (NSE) is the backbone of India’s financial markets, handling millions of trades daily. But what happens when this giant stumbles? Over the past few years, NSE has seen several technical glitches that left traders helpless and markets frozen.
Is NSE Working Today?
Here are some of the most common glitches reported on the NSE (National Stock Exchange) platform over the years, especially affecting brokers and retail traders:
1. Order Execution Delays
- Orders take longer than usual to get executed or appear stuck in the system.
- This often happens during peak market volatility (budget day, result days, etc.).
2. Price Feed Lags / Frozen Ticker
- Live market prices freeze for seconds or even minutes.
- Traders see stale data, leading to poor decision-making.
3. Market Depth / Bid-Ask Errors
- Inaccurate or missing bid-ask spreads.
- Depth data (Level 2) vanishes or reflects incorrect quantities.
4. Multiple Order Executions (Duplication Bug)
- A single click may trigger the same order multiple times.
- This is often due to poor syncing between the front-end and exchange servers.
5. Order Rejections Without Reason
- “Order Rejected by Exchange” errors without a clear cause.
- Common with stop-loss orders or option orders near expiry.
6. Incorrect Open Interest or Option Chain Data
- A mismatch in OI data, which can sometimes affect traders using option analytics.
- An option chain may show missing or mispriced strikes.
7. Risk Management System (RMS) Auto-Square Off Glitches
- Traders get squared off even if margins are available.
- RMS misfires cause unwanted exits during intraday trades.
8. System-wide Downtime
- Complete halt in trading across equity, derivatives, or currency segments.
- Past examples include the NSE outage on February 24, 2021, which led to a full-day disruption.
9. Trade Mismatch Between Brokers and Exchange
- Brokers show executed trades, but the exchange data doesn’t match.
- Leads to reconciliation issues and wrong P&L display.
10. Broadcast or Circular Delay
- Important circulars (e.g., trading halts, F&O expiry changes) don’t reach brokers instantly.
- Creates confusion, especially among retail clients.
NSE Technical Glitch History
Over the years, frustrated traders have shared their experiences online about how NSE glitches disrupted their trades.
Here are some NSE technical glitch cases reported over past few years:
1. February 24, 2021 — Four-Hour Trading Halt That Stunned Markets
What began as a normal trading day turned chaotic when Nifty prices stopped updating around 10:06 AM. Brokers couldn’t execute new orders, and by 11:40 AM, NSE had halted trading across all segments—equities, F&O, everything.
The culprit?
Both telecom links between Mumbai and Chennai data centers failed at once, and their storage network (SAN) also crashed.
With no risk systems left, NSE was forced to resume trading only at 3:45 PM, later extending the session to 5 PM.
This NSE trading halt affected countless intraday traders—auto-squared trades and missed stop-losses destroyed profits.
SEBI later fined NSE ₹49.77 crore and its clearing arm ₹22.88 crore, with strict demands for upgraded failover systems.
2. June 2020 — Bank Options Price Freeze
This glitch was less dramatic but equally stressful.
In June 2020, Bank Nifty option prices stopped updating properly on NSE’s trading terminals during an active session.
Traders stared at frozen screens as their stop-loss orders failed to activate.
While trading wasn’t completely halted, the lack of real-time data meant traders couldn’t make informed decisions.
Many ended up with losses simply because they couldn’t see the actual market movement.
For options traders, where seconds count, this glitch caused big frustration.
3. September 2019 — Frozen Screens in the Final Hour
Just when traders were wrapping up their day, the screens froze again. In the last 30 minutes of trading, NSE’s price feeds stopped updating for several brokers.
Orders failed to go through, and those trying to exit intraday positions were stuck watching their portfolios swing wildly.
This glitch wasn’t officially acknowledged by NSE, but complaints flooded social media.
Many traders were forced to accept auto-squared positions at unfavorable prices, adding to their losses.
4. April 2024 — NSE Tests Its Backup System
After years of glitches, NSE decided it was time to act.
In April 2024, they ran a live Disaster Recovery (DR) drill, switching trading operations from their Mumbai data center to the Chennai backup site during market hours.
This time, the system handled the switch smoothly. No interruptions, no errors.
For traders, this was a welcome sign that NSE was learning from past mistakes and taking steps to make trading safer.
What to Do If NSE Faces a Glitch
When the NSE platform glitches or stops working, it can be frustrating, especially if you’re in the middle of an important trade.
Your screen freezes, orders won’t execute, and you’re left wondering if it’s just you or a bigger issue at play.
Here’s how you can handle it calmly:
- Check if the problem is widespread. Open Twitter or Google and search “NSE down today” or “NSE technical glitch.” If other traders are posting about it, it’s likely a trading halt or system failure on NSE’s side, not your broker.
- Take a screenshot of your screen showing the issue and note the exact time. This will help later if you need to file a complaint.
- Contact your broker immediately to confirm whether your pending orders have gone through or are stuck due to the NSE execution failure.
- Avoid placing new orders during this period until you know the platform is fully operational.
- If the glitch caused you losses or your broker doesn’t give a clear answer, you can escalate the issue directly to NSE’s investor grievance portal.
- Always keep a backup account with another broker. If the NSE app is not working through one platform, you might still be able to access it from another.
The key is to stay calm and act quickly—panic only leads to mistakes.
How to File a Complaint Against NSE?
If you’re stuck because of an NSE technical glitch, don’t just wait and hope it fixes itself. You can raise a complaint directly with NSE and get the issue looked into.
- Take a step and file complaint in NSE.
- Visit the NSE Investor Grievance portal.
- Log in with your details and click on “Register Complaint.”
- Here, you’ll need to enter your trading account information, describe the issue clearly (like “order stuck due to NSE system failure”), and upload screenshots as proof.
- Once submitted, NSE will review your complaint and get back to you within a few days.
- If they don’t resolve it, you can escalate the matter to SEBI through their SCORES platform.
The key is to file your complaint as soon as possible. The quicker you raise it, the better your chances of a resolution.
How to Complaint in SEBI?
If your broker and NSE can’t resolve your issue, don’t worry—you can take it to SEBI. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has a dedicated online platform called SCORES to handle such complaints.
Here’s how to do it step by step:
- Go to SEBI’s SCORES portal and register with your email and mobile number.
- Once logged in, click on “Register Complaint” and choose the category related to your issue, like NSE technical glitch, execution failure, or trading halt.
- Make sure you include all important details: your trading ID, the time and date of the issue, and any screenshots showing the problem.
- After you submit, you’ll get a complaint reference number. You can use it to track updates on the portal itself.
- SEBI then forwards your complaint to NSE or the broker and monitors how they resolve it.
Need Help Reporting an Issue?
If you’re unable to report your complaint to NSE or SEBI on your own, don’t worry. Register with us, and we can guide you through the process.
Whether it’s filing on NSE’s investor portal or escalating it to SEBI’s SCORES, reach out to us, and we’ll help you step by step.
NSE Glitch Recovery
One of the first questions traders ask after a system failure: “Will NSE or my broker refund me for the loss?”
The short answer is: sometimes, but only if you act and have proof.
Compensation usually depends on proving that you suffered a genuine loss because of the NSE technical glitch and that it wasn’t caused by your own mistake.
That’s why it’s so important to keep records: take screenshots, note down order IDs, and save emails from your broker.
In the very public case of the NSE trading halt on February 24, 2021, SEBI ordered NSE and its clearing arm to settle with affected traders. NSE paid ₹49.76 crore, and NSE Clearing paid ₹22.88 crore, totaling around ₹72.6 crore in settlement, without admitting fault.
This settlement highlights that compensation is possible, but it typically follows major, well-documented system failures, not minor glitches.
To have a chance at restitution, you must file promptly, include thorough evidence of the error, and show how it caused financial loss.
We have helped thousands of users in getting recovery of over ₹4 crore caused due to one or other technical glitches in the stock broking app, caused due to broker or stock exchange issues.
Conclusion
NSE’s technical glitches over the years have caused frustration and even losses for many traders. From price feed freezes to full-blown trading halts, these issues remind us how important it is to stay alert and know what to do.
While NSE and SEBI have taken steps to improve their systems, traders still need to protect themselves—by keeping records, raising complaints quickly, and having a backup plan.
If you’ve ever faced an NSE system failure or seen your trades get stuck, you’re not alone. The key is to stay calm and act fast.
