NSE vs BSE — Key Differences

India has two major stock exchanges. BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) was established in 1875 — Asia's oldest exchange with over 5,500 listed companies. Its benchmark index is SENSEX tracking top 30 companies. NSE (National Stock Exchange) was established in 1992 and is India's largest by trading volume. Its benchmark is NIFTY 50 tracking top 50 companies. For beginners it does not matter which one — most stocks are listed on both. Your broker gives access to both automatically. For derivatives trading (F&O), NSE dominates. For long-term investing, both work equally well.