Margin Calculator
Estimated funds needed for F&O and intraday positions.
Position
Nifty 50 lot size is 65 from January 2026; check NSE for other contracts.
Index futures often need around 10–15%; your broker shows the exact figure.
Your result
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Enter your numbers to see the result.
This margin calculator estimates how much money you need in your trading account before taking a position. It covers futures and option selling (as a percentage of contract value), option buying (the full premium) and intraday equity (SEBI’s minimum margin). It also shows the contract value and the leverage you are taking.
What is a Margin Calculator?
Margin is the money you must keep with your broker to take a leveraged position. For futures and option selling, exchanges set a SPAN margin plus an exposure margin, usually a percentage of the contract value. Option buyers pay the full premium instead, and intraday equity traders must put up at least 20% of the position value under SEBI’s rules.
A margin calculator estimates the funds you need and shows how much leverage you are using. Leverage magnifies both gains and losses, so seeing it in numbers is a useful check before you trade.
How does the Margin Calculator work?
For futures and option selling, the calculator multiplies the contract value (price × lot size × lots) by the margin percentage you enter. For option buying, it multiplies the premium by the quantity. For intraday equity, it uses SEBI’s minimum of 20% of the position value.
Leverage is the contract value divided by the margin.
How to use the Margin Calculator step by step
- Choose the position type.
- Enter the price: the futures or index level, the share price, or the option premium.
- Enter the lot size and lots, or the quantity for intraday equity.
- For futures and option selling, enter the margin % from your broker.
- Read the margin, contract value and leverage.
- Make sure you hold extra funds for mark-to-market losses.
Margin Calculator example with real numbers
You want to buy one lot of Nifty futures with the index at 25,000. The lot size is 65 and the margin is about 12%.
| Example input | Value |
|---|---|
| Position | Futures / option selling |
| Price (index or share level, or option premium) | ₹25,000.00 |
| Lot size | 65 |
| Number of lots | 1 |
| Margin % (SPAN + exposure) | 12% |
| Example output | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated margin needed | ₹1,95,000 |
| Contract value | ₹16,25,000 |
| Quantity | 65 |
| Leverage | 8.3× |
| A 1% move changes P&L by | ₹16,250 |
The contract value is ₹16,25,000, and the margin calculator estimates ₹1,95,000 of margin. That is leverage of 8.3×, so a 1% move changes your profit or loss by ₹16,250.
Key features of this Margin Calculator
- Futures, option selling, option buying and intraday equity
- Current Nifty lot size as default
- Contract value and leverage
- 1% move impact
- Honest note on exchange margins
Who should use the Margin Calculator?
Who is this Margin Calculator for?
- F&O traders
- Intraday equity traders
- Beginners learning about leverage
- Option buyers comparing capital needs
Practical use cases
- Estimating funds for one Nifty futures lot
- Comparing option buying and selling capital
- Checking intraday leverage
- Planning position sizes
Key benefits
- Plan funds: avoid order rejections.
- See leverage: understand your real exposure.
- Quick: no login needed.
- Simple: works for any contract with your own lot size.
Tips for better results
- Keep a buffer above the minimum margin to handle daily mark-to-market losses.
- Margins rise during volatile periods and near expiry.
- Check lot sizes before trading; exchanges revise them periodically.
- Most retail traders in equity F&O lose money; SEBI studies have found that roughly nine out of ten individual traders made net losses in recent years.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using an outdated lot size.
- Trading with the bare minimum margin and getting squared off.
- Treating leverage as free money.
- Assuming option selling margin equals premium received.
Limitations of this Margin Calculator
- Exact SPAN margins come from the exchange’s risk model and change daily; this is an estimate.
- Hedged positions often need less margin, which is not modelled.
- Lot sizes and margin rules change; verify with NSE and your broker.
Margin Calculator vs other ways to calculate
| Position | Money needed | Maximum loss |
|---|---|---|
| Futures | SPAN + exposure margin | Unlimited in theory |
| Option selling | SPAN + exposure margin | Unlimited in theory |
| Option buying | Full premium | Premium paid |
| Intraday equity | At least 20% of value | Position value |
To size a trade by risk rather than margin, use the position size calculator. For option payoffs, see the options profit calculator.
Privacy and data handling
This Margin Calculator runs entirely in your browser. The numbers you type are not sent to Qorico or stored on any server, and nothing is saved after you close the page. The Copy and Download buttons create the result on your own device. If the page has analytics turned on, it may count that a calculation happened, but it does not record the values you entered.
Margin Calculator FAQs
What is SPAN margin?
SPAN is the exchange’s risk-based margin system that estimates the worst likely one-day loss on a position. Exposure margin is added on top.
How much margin is needed to sell Nifty options?
Selling one lot needs roughly the same as a futures lot, often around 10–15% of contract value without a hedge. Hedged positions need less.
What is the Nifty lot size in 2026?
NSE revised the Nifty 50 lot size to 65 for contracts from January 2026. Check NSE’s circulars for the latest.
What are SEBI's intraday margin rules?
Brokers must collect at least 20% upfront margin for intraday equity trades, which limits leverage to about 5 times.
Why does margin change during the day?
Exchanges update risk parameters as prices and volatility change, so required margins can rise.
Do option buyers need margin?
Option buyers pay the full premium upfront; no additional margin is needed for the bought option.
Related tools
Sources and references
We checked the method and the current figures used in this Margin Calculator against these official and primary sources:
Written and reviewed by the Qorico Team
