Free Course · 13 Lessons · No Signup

Introduction to Stock Markets.
Free. Open. India-First.

A 13-lesson primer on Indian equity markets — why we invest, who regulates, how IPOs work, what an index measures, how trades clear, and what corporate actions and macro events do to stock prices. India-context throughout. 100% free.

13 lessons ~3.5 hours total No signup 100% free

What you’ll learn

The 13 lessons cover the full intro-to-stock-markets arc — from the personal-finance case for investing through to settlement mechanics and macro-economic events. By the end you’ll understand who the players are (SEBI, NSE, BSE, brokers, depositories, AMCs), how to read an exchange ticker, how a trade clears in T+1, what a corporate action does to your holding, and how budget and RBI moves ripple through stock prices.

Course outline · 13 lessons

1Lesson 1 · Free · ~15 minThe Need to InvestWhy saving alone isn’t enough. Five Indian asset classes, time horizon vs risk, and the five rules to follow before buying your first share.→ 2Lesson 2 · Free · ~15 minRegulatorsWhy markets need a referee. SEBI’s three mandates, the scams that shaped it, and the other regulators you’ll encounter.→ 3Lesson 3 · Free · ~15 minFinancial IntermediariesBrokers, depositories, DPs, clearing corps, banks. Who does what behind every trade and why all of them are needed.→ 4Lesson 4 · Free · ~15 minThe IPO Markets — Part 1Why companies need outside capital, the funding ladder from founder to listing, and what makes a company file its DRHP.→ 5Lesson 5 · Free · ~15 minThe IPO Markets — Part 2DRHP to listing day. Merchant bankers, book building, retail/QIB/NII, allotment, refund, and the jargon in every IPO note.→ 6Lesson 6 · Free · ~15 minThe Stock MarketsPrimary vs secondary markets, what moves prices, how a trade actually flows, what ownership entitles you to, how returns are computed.→ 7Lesson 7 · Free · ~15 minThe Stock Market IndexNifty 50 and Sensex demystified. Free-float methodology, how stocks enter and exit, and the dozens of sector indices you can build around.→ 8Lesson 8 · Free · ~15 minCommonly Used JargonsYour market dictionary — 30+ essential terms covering direction, mechanics, valuation, IPOs, participants, risk and return.→ 9Lesson 9 · Free · ~15 minThe Trading TerminalInside the broker’s app. Market watch, order book, bid-ask, the five order types, contract notes and position books.→ 10Lesson 10 · Free · ~15 minClearing & SettlementT+1 mechanics. How money and shares change hands, margin, short-delivery auctions, the upcoming T+0, every charge on your contract note.→ 11Lesson 11 · Free · ~15 minCorporate ActionsDividends, bonus, split, rights, buyback. What each does mechanically to your holding and how stock prices react.→ 12Lesson 12 · Free · ~15 minKey Events Affecting MarketsSix macro events you should track: RBI policy, inflation, IIP, PMI, Budget, earnings. Direction and reason for each.→ 13Lesson 13 · Free · ~15 minGetting StartedWhere you are, what comes next. Five action items, five habits of investors who do well, and the road map across modules 2-6.→
Interactive Study Hub

Practice every concept with quizzes, flashcards & crosswords

Every topic in this course is mirrored in the free Study Hub — 5,400 quiz questions, 2,160 flashcards, words-scramble puzzles, and interactive crosswords across 108 finance & accounting topics including NSE & BSE, SEBI, IPO Process, Market Indices, Trading & Settlement, and Economic Indicators. No login needed.

Quizzes50 / topic
Flashcards20 / topic
WORDS
Word Scramble20 / topic
123
Crossword12-word grid
Open the Study Hub →
Recommended Reading

Go deeper with these market classics

Hand-picked books to reinforce what you’ve learned in this lesson.

The Unusual Billionairesby Saurabh MukherjeaView on Amazon →
Fundamentals of Corporate Financeby Stephen RossView on Amazon →
Bulls, Bears and Other Beastsby Santosh NairView on Amazon →
Stocks to Richesby Parag ParikhView on Amazon →
The Intelligent Investorby Benjamin GrahamView on Amazon →
One Up On Wall Streetby Peter LynchView on Amazon →
Browse Our Full Bookshop →200+ hand-picked finance, investing & business books — Amazon affiliate.
Practical next steps

Apply what you’ve learned

Recommended platforms for Indian readers who want to track real transactions or start investing. International readers — please check whether these are available in your country.
Zerodha
India’s largest broker. Open a free demat account to practise reading the financial statements of listed companies.
Open Free Account →
Groww
Beginner-friendly investing app. Great for applying ratio analysis on mutual funds and stocks.
Open Free Account →
QuickBooks / Xero / FreshBooks
Industry-standard accounting software for small businesses and freelancers.
Coming soon
Zoho ONE
All-in-one business suite — accounting, CRM, invoicing, payroll, projects and 40+ apps in one subscription.
Get Free Trial →

Who is this for?

First-time investors who want to understand Indian markets before opening a demat account. Students and freshers preparing for finance interviews. Founders and small-business owners learning how capital markets work. NRIs and global readers curious about the structure of Indian equity. Anyone tired of YouTube tip-fests and ready for a structured foundation.

The course assumes zero prior knowledge. Each lesson stands alone, but the natural reading order is 1 → 13.