How to Trade with Vantage from India
A practical walk-through from first login to first position, written for someone starting in Indian Standard Time (IST).
Open Account →Start on a Vantage demo account, learn one instrument group first, size each position from your stop distance rather than your balance, and attach the stop when the order is placed. In Indian Standard Time the Asian session covers the morning and the London-New York overlap falls in the evening, which is normally the most liquid window; spreads widen around scheduled economic releases.
From account to first trade
- Start on a demo account so the order ticket, margin and stop settings are familiar before real money is involved.
- Pick one instrument group to learn first — the USD majors are the usual starting point because they are the deepest market and the cheapest to trade.
- Decide position size from risk, not from the amount you can afford to deposit: a fixed small percentage of account equity per trade is the standard approach.
- Set a stop-loss on the ticket when the order is placed, not afterwards.
- In Indian Standard Time the Asian session runs through the morning, London opens in the early afternoon and the London-New York overlap falls in the evening — that overlap is normally the most liquid window of the day.
- Spreads widen around scheduled economic releases, so check the calendar before holding through one.
- Keep a written record of each trade, including why it was opened and closed — it is the cheapest form of review available.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first thing to do after opening an account?
Place a few trades on the demo account until the order ticket, margin display and stop settings are second nature.
How large should a first position be?
Small enough that the distance to your stop costs only a minor share of account equity if it is hit.
What do the trading sessions look like in IST?
Roughly: the Asian session through the IST morning, London from the early afternoon, and the London-New York overlap in the evening — the deepest liquidity of the day. Exact times shift with daylight saving abroad.