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.

Affiliate disclosure: some links below are affiliate or referral links. If you buy or open an account through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what you pay, and it does not decide what we recommend. See our affiliate disclosure.

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 All Books →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. Affiliate disclosure: some links below are affiliate or referral links. If you buy or open an account through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what you pay, and it does not decide what we recommend. See our affiliate disclosure.
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.

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