Frequently Asked Questions

An After Market Order, or AMO, allows an investor to place an order before and after regular market working days and hours. Markets are typically open Monday through Friday between 9:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., excluding national holidays. With the AMO feature now available on Jiraaf, investors can place an order at their convenience almost 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

• Ease of Investment: You can place orders during non-market hours.
• Ample amount of Research time: You get adequate time to go through all necessary documents, even during off-market hours, and trigger an investment post the same.
• Pre-booking option: AMO basically works as a pre-booking option, which helps you take advantage of great investment opportunities

AMO order placement is no different from a regular order placement. The investment flow remains the same, and the payment will be initiated immediately via the payment gateway. The AMO order will be raised only if the payment is successful.  

Once the transaction is successful, the purchased units will be transferred to your Demat account on settlement day.

Yes, investors receive an email from Jiraaf with all the order details, like deal name, executed price, etc., after they place their orders on the platform.

No, investors are NOT allowed to cancel an AMO order once it has been placed. Please initiate the order ONLY if you plan to complete the purchase. Your AMO order will be placed only if you complete the payment. It will not be canceled once you complete the payment and raise the AMO.

If the payment for your AMO order fails, you will have a 3-hour window to retry and complete the payment. If you do not complete the payment within this time frame, your order will expire, and you will need to place a new order. 

If you do not complete the payment for your AMO order, your order will not be raised with the Exchange. However, you can come back and raise new orders anytime.  

Outside the working day trading hours (9:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.), the AMO order facility is available for the majority of the day except 30 minutes earlier in the working day (8:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.) and one hour later (3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.). On weekends and holidays, there are no limitations.

Trading Day (Working Business Days)

Non-Trading Day (Holidays and Weekends)

*Settlement Day will need to be a business trading day. If it falls on a weekend or a holiday, it would be processed on the next business day and the price would be reflective of the same.

Compared to conventional fixed income avenues like fixed deposits or recurring deposits, listed corporate bonds provide better annual returns at varied risk levels, from low to high, typically yielding between 8% and 18%.

A corporate FD is a fixed deposit issued ONLY by financial institutions for a defined tenure, and it typically offers better returns than bank FDs. On the other hand, corporate bonds are fixed-income securities that allow organizations to raise funds for various needs without diluting ownership and generally offer better returns than corporate FDs. 

Corporate bonds’ maturities range from long (more than ten years) to medium (four to ten years) and short (less than three years). Generally, long-term bonds entail additional risks but offer better interest rates.

As the names imply, bonds issued by public or private organizations are called corporate bonds, and those issued by the government are called government bonds.

Treasury bills are debt instruments that come in 3 tenures (91 days, 182 days, and 364 days) and are sold below their face value. In other words, investors buy these instruments at discounted prices but get the full value when the T-bills mature.

Corporate bonds have long maturities, higher risk, better returns, and periodic repayment schedules defined by the advertised coupon rate compared to Treasury bills, which are government securities with shorter tenures, zero coupon rates, sold at a discount, and almost zero risk with repayment made at maturity.

Treasury bills are issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the Indian Government. Their interest rate is determined by market forces, and the RBI conducts auctions at regular intervals to sell T-bills, which can be purchased by trusts, individuals, banks, and institutions.

As of March 2025, T-bills in India fetch yields ranging from 6.19% for 91 days to 6.59% for 182 days, and 6.63% for 364 days.

You can purchase T-bills from a broker or bank that has permission to participate in the RBI auction. To purchase Treasury bills, you need a trading platform, a Demat account, and a trading account. Customers can also purchase T-bills in the secondary market or online bond platforms.

The primary difference between these is that SDLs are issued for state governments, and G-Secs are issued for the central government. This makes them some of the best bonds for conservative investors to invest in India, with risk close to zero and returns better than fixed deposits (FDs). Both are backed by the RBI. G-Sec's tenure ranges from 5 years to 40 years, and that of SDLs is typically 10 years but can be higher.

Investors can better plan and align their investment strategies with their financial goals by opting for SDL target maturity funds. These funds have a fixed maturity term, pay interest semi-annually, and repay the principal at maturity. They also offer liquidity benefits to investors as they have no lock-in period.

SDLs carry lesser risk compared to corporate bonds. Additionally, they are backed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which has the authority to repay holders of SDL securities using money that the central government allocates to states.

The Reserve Bank of India issues G-Secs on behalf of the central government. You can invest in these bonds through your Demat account by registering on the NSE goBID app, directly via the RBI Retail Direct portal, or the Jiraaf platform.

As of March 20, 2025, the yield on a seven-year Indian G-Sec (Government Security) is around 6.754%.

Government securities in India can be bought by trusts, companies, HUFs (Hindu Undivided Family), financial institutions, mutual funds, and NRIs (Non-Resident Indians), apart from retail investors.

A fixed deposit allows you to invest a lump sum for a predetermined period at a fixed interest rate. The interest earned on your deposit compounds over time, and at maturity, you receive both the principal and interest. You can get FDs from banks and financial institutions as a low-risk investment option, to achieve your financial goals with certainty and safety.

Every investment asset has a different role to play in your portfolio. FDs provide guaranteed returns with minimal risk. They help preserve your capital and even grow it in volatile markets, offering liquidity and predictable interest. Large bank FDs might not always beat inflation, but they can be used conveniently for short-term goals or to build emergency funds or to cushion your portfolio from volatility. FDs from small banks and NBFCs can even help you beat inflation.

Financial institutions offer a variety of fixed deposit accounts to suit different needs. These include standard FDs with fixed returns, tax-saving FDs that qualify for Section 80C deductions, and senior citizen FDs, that offer higher interest rates. Flexi FDs are linked to your savings account for automatic investments, while NRI FDs are designed for non-resident Indians. Choose the FD type that best aligns with your financial goals.

Fixed deposits offer tenures ranging from 7 days to 10 years. Short-term FDs provide liquidity for emergencies or urgent requirements, while long-term FDs maximize returns through the power of compounding. The best strategy is to opt for FD laddering wherein you invest in multiple FDs with different maturity dates to strike a balance between liquidity and returns.

To be eligible for opening an FD account, you must be an Indian citizen, whether you are a resident or a non-resident. Eligible entities include individuals, companies, partnership firms, businesses, senior citizens, and minors. The essential documents required typically include proof of identity, proof of address, and proof of date of birth. Keep in mind that the specific process and documentation requirements may vary across different financial institutions.

Banks are not the only ones to offer FDs. NBFCs and India Post Offices can also offer fixed deposits.
As per Section 451(c) of the RBI Act, NBFCs can carry the business of a financial institution without a full banking licence. NBFCs offer FDs, credit facilities, savings & investment plans, insurance, etc.

A payout account is the designated bank account where the funds from your fixed deposit (FD) will be credited upon maturity. This is the account where you will receive your investment returns. For safety and security reasons, it is mandatory to provide your own bank account details to receive the payout.

The frequency at which interest is compounded for Fixed Deposits varies by institution. For example, bank interests typically compound on a quarterly basis. At Bajaj, the compounding frequency is annual, while at Shriram, interest is compounded monthly.

Yes, KYC is mandatory for opening a Fixed Deposit account to comply with regulatory requirements and ensure the authenticity of the account holder.

You need to provide proof of identity (e.g., Aadhaar card, PAN card), proof of address (e.g., utility bill, passport), and proof of date of birth.

CKYC stands for Central Know Your Customer, an initiative by the Government of India. It streamlines the customer onboarding process by consolidating all relevant KYC information in one place.
Consent is necessary to access this data because it contains your personal information. We use this information to ensure a safer and faster onboarding process.

Video KYC is mandated by RBI guidelines as a verification step for all investors.
In the rare event that your Video KYC process fails, you can retry the investment within 2 days of booking the FD during banking hours.

The money is deducted and invested with the bank before completing Video KYC to ensure you start earning interest immediately. This step is taken to avoid any delay in interest accumulation.
If the Video KYC process is not completed, the bank will refund your money within 7 working days.

In the unlikely event that your payment fails but the amount has been deducted from your account, there's no need to worry. The deducted amount will be refunded to your source account within 2 to 4 working days.