Understanding SEBI margin rules
Since September 2021 SEBI mandates peak margin reporting — brokers must collect 100% of SPAN + exposure margin upfront. The days of 20× intraday leverage are gone for retail. Today's typical margin requirements are: 100% for delivery, ~20% for equity intraday, 15–18% for index/stock futures, and 13–18% for option selling.
Margin penalties are real
If your margin utilisation crosses 100% even briefly, you can be hit with a margin shortfall penalty of 0.5–5% — and it goes on the exchange record. Always calculate before you place the trade. Always use a stop loss.
Margin inside QbarTrade
When you build a plan in the Trade Planner, QbarTrade auto-checks required margin against your connected broker's funds — so you never plan a trade you can't actually take.