5 Best Crypto Futures Exchanges in India 2026 (Low Fees & High Leverage)

If you are trading crypto in India, the “1% TDS” on every sell transaction is probably your biggest nightmare. It drains your capital and kills day trading strategies.

But smart traders have found a loophole (or rather, a better lane). It is called Crypto Futures.

Unlike Spot trading, where you buy and hold the actual asset, Futures contracts allow you to speculate on the price without owning the coin. Because of this difference, some new Indian platforms offer INR-settled futures that do not deduct 1% TDS on every trade.

This has caused a massive shift. Traders are moving from Spot to Derivatives. But which platform is safe? Which handles INR best?

I have tested the top contenders to bring you the best crypto futures exchange in India list for 2026.

Key Takeaways

• The Tax Hack: INR-Settled futures on platforms like Pi42 often exempt you from the 1% TDS that applies to Spot trading (check with your CA!).
• Best for Options: Delta Exchange India is the undisputed king for trading Call/Put options in INR.
• Best for Leverage: Bybit and Binance offer the highest leverage (up to 125x), but require P2P deposits.
• Safety First: Always choose an exchange that keeps user funds in India or is FIU-registered.

Crypto Futures Trading Explained: A Beginner’s Guide

Before diving into the apps, you need to understand the game. Imagine you want to bet on a horse race. You don’t buy the horse; you just put money on whether it will win or lose.

Crypto Futures are exactly like that. You are not buying the actual Bitcoin or Ethereum. You are entering a contract—a bet—on whether the price will go UP or DOWN. This is why traders love it. You can make money even when the market is crashing.

Here is the deep dive into how it all works.

1. The Core Concept: Long vs. Short

In “Spot” trading (normal buying), you only profit if the price goes up. In Futures, you have two buttons.

• Long (Buy): You bet the price will go UP.
• Short (Sell): You bet the price will go DOWN.

If you “Short” Bitcoin at $50,000 and it drops to $40,000, you profit from that $10,000 drop.

2. The Superpower: Leverage

This is the main reason people trade futures. Leverage allows you to trade with more money than you actually have. The exchange lends you the difference.

• Example: You have $1,000 (your “Margin”).
• Leverage: You select 10x.
• Total Position: You are now trading with $10,000.

If Bitcoin moves up 5%, you don’t make 5% on your $1,000 ($50). You make 5% on the total $10,000 ($500). That is a 50% return on your actual money! But be careful—it works the other way too. A 5% drop would wipe out 50% of your money.

3. Perpetual vs. Standard Futures

In traditional markets (like Gold or Oil), futures contracts have an Expiry Date (e.g., “Dec 31st”). On that day, the contract ends, and you get paid or pay up.

In Crypto, 99% of people trade Perpetual Futures (often called “Perps”).

• No Expiry: You can hold the position for 5 minutes or 5 years.
• The Funding Rate: Since there is no expiry date to force the price to match the real Bitcoin price, exchanges use a “Funding Fee.” If the Futures price is higher than the real price, Longs pay Shorts. If it is lower, Shorts pay Longs.

4. The “Game Over” Zone: Liquidation

This is the most critical concept to understand. Since you are borrowing money from the exchange (leverage), they will not let you lose their money. They will only let you lose your money (your Margin).

If the price moves against you to a specific point where your money is almost gone, the exchange automatically force-closes your trade. This is called Liquidation.

• 10x Leverage: You lose everything if price moves 10% against you.
• 100x Leverage: You lose everything if price moves just 1% against you.

1. Delta Exchange India (The Options King)

If you are serious about derivatives, Delta is where you end up. They were the first to launch a dedicated India platform. The killer feature? You trade directly in INR. You don’t need to convert to USDT. This saves you conversion fees and makes tax calculation super simple.

Futures Features

• Options Chain: Full access to daily, weekly, and monthly expiries for Bitcoin and Ethereum options.
• MOVE Contracts: A unique product where you bet on the volatility of the market (how much it moves) rather than the direction.
• Strategy Builder: Built-in tools to create complex strategies like Straddles, Strangles, and Iron Condors easily.
• 100x Leverage: Offers up to 100x leverage on major Perpetual contracts like BTC and ETH.

Payment Methods

• Direct UPI: Instant deposits with zero fees.
• Net Banking: Supports major Indian banks for larger transfers.
• No P2P: Since it uses direct banking rails, you avoid the risk of P2P scams entirely.

Earning Features

• Robo Trading: Subscribe to automated algorithmic strategies that trade on your behalf.
• Yield on Cash: Unlike most exchanges, Delta often provides a small yield on the unused INR sitting in your wallet.

Fees

• Maker: 0.02%
• Taker: 0.05%
• Settlement: INR settlement means no USDT conversion fees.

Verdict: The best all-rounder for compliant INR futures.

2. Pi42 (The Tax Saver)

Pi42 exploded onto the scene in 2025 with one main promise: No 1% TDS. Since they only offer INR-settled perpetual futures (and no spot delivery), they argue that the VDA tax rules apply differently. For high-frequency scalpers, this is a godsend.

Futures Features

• INR-Margined Contracts: Your collateral is held in Rupee, not USDT. This eliminates the risk of USDT depegging.
• Scalping Interface: The UI is stripped down and designed for speed, perfect for mobile scalpers who need to enter/exit in seconds.
• Leverage: Offers up to 20x on major altcoins and higher on BTC/ETH pairs.
• No Expiry: Pure perpetual contracts focused on the most liquid pairs.

Payment Methods

• UPI Integration: Fast and seamless INR deposits directly from your bank app.
• Bank Transfer: IMPS supported for larger capital injection.

Earning Features

• Referral Income: A generous referral program that pays commissions on your friends’ trading fees.

Fees

• Trading Fee: Flat 0.05% for makers and 0.1% for takers (slightly higher than Delta but worth it for the TDS saving).
• No TDS: No 1% deduction on trades.

Verdict: The best choice for day traders who hate TDS.

3. Bybit (The Global Giant)

Bybit is the Ferrari of crypto futures. It is fast, sleek, and rarely crashes. While it doesn’t have direct INR pairs (you trade in USDT), its “Unified Trading Account” is unmatched. You can use your Spot assets as collateral for your Futures positions.

Futures Features

• Unified Trading Account (UTA): Use your BTC, ETH, or USDT as margin across all derivatives without moving funds between wallets.
• Copy Trading: Follow top-tier “Master Traders” and automatically copy their futures positions.
• Trading Bots: Free Futures Grid and Martingale bots to automate your strategy.
• Deep Liquidity: Can handle multi-million dollar exit orders without slippage.

Payment Methods

• P2P Market: You must use P2P to buy USDT using INR.
• Credit Card: “One-Click Buy” available but often blocked by Indian banks.

Earning Features

• Bybit Savings: Earn high APY on your idle USDT while waiting for a trade setup.
• Liquidity Mining: Provide liquidity to pools to earn yield + fees.

Fees

• Maker: 0.02%
• Taker: 0.055%

Verdict: The best platform for “Whales” and professional traders.

4. CoinDCX Pro (The Safe Bet)

CoinDCX isn’t just for SIPs; their Pro mode offers decent futures trading. The leverage is lower (usually capped at 10x or 20x for safety), but you get the security of India’s most trusted brand. If you are terrified of using new apps, stick to CoinDCX.

Futures Features

• Pro Mode Interface: Advanced charts powered by TradingView with all indicators integrated.
• Cross Margin: Ability to share margin across multiple open positions to prevent premature liquidation.
• Risk Limits: Strict leverage caps (max 20x on most pairs) protect beginners from blowing up their accounts too fast.
• Broad Selection: Access to over 300+ trading pairs for futures.

Payment Methods

• IMPS/NEFT/RTGS: Automated bank deposits via a unique virtual account number.
• Mobikwik: Wallet support for instant smaller deposits.

Earning Features

• Earn: Lend your idle crypto to earn interest (up to 10-12% on stablecoins).
• Staking: One-click staking for ETH and SOL.

Fees

• Trading Fees: Generally around 0.02% Maker / 0.07% Taker for futures.

Verdict: Great for beginners dipping their toes into leverage.

5. Binance (The Volume Monster)

We can’t ignore Binance. It has the most trading pairs in the world. If you want to long/short a random meme coin that just launched 10 minutes ago, Binance Futures is the only place you will find it.

Futures Features

• Multi-Asset Mode: Use BUSD or BNB as margin for USDT-futures to save on fees.
• Mock Trading: A fully simulated environment to practice futures trading with fake money.
• High Leverage: Offers up to 125x leverage on BTC (use with extreme caution!).
• Exotic Pairs: Over 500+ trading pairs, including obscure altcoins not found elsewhere.

Payment Methods

• P2P: The most liquid P2P market in the world. Buying USDT here is fast, but carries bank freeze risks.

Earning Features

• BNB Vault: Earn rewards by holding BNB.
• Launchpool: Farm new tokens for free.

Fees

• Maker: 0.02%
• Taker: 0.04%
• Discount: 10% off fees if paid in BNB.

Verdict: The best for trading obscure altcoins.

Comparison: Futures Exchanges India

Exchange	INR Settlement?	Max Leverage	TDS on Trades?	Best For
Delta Exchange	✅ Yes	100x	❌ No*	Options Trading
Pi42	✅ Yes	75x	❌ No*	Scalping (No TDS)
Bybit	❌ No (USDT)	100x	✅ Yes (1%)	Pro Traders
CoinDCX	❌ No (USDT)	20x	✅ Yes (1%)	Safety
Binance	❌ No (USDT)	125x	✅ Yes (1%)	Altcoin Variety

*Note: TDS rules are subject to interpretation. Always consult a tax professional.

Conclusion

The game has changed. You don’t have to bleed 1% on every trade anymore.

If you want to keep your trading in INR and optimize your taxes, Delta Exchange India and Pi42 are your new best friends. They offer the speed of crypto with the convenience of Indian banking.

However, if you need raw power and global liquidity, Bybit remains the undefeated champion—just be prepared to deal with P2P deposits.

FAQ

Q: Is crypto futures trading legal in India?

A: Yes, it is legal. It is treated as business income or capital gains depending on your frequency, but there is no ban on derivatives trading.

Q: Does Pi42 really have zero TDS?

A: Pi42 structures its contracts as INR-settled derivatives, which they claim falls outside the 1% TDS rule for “Virtual Digital Assets” transfer. However, tax laws are evolving, so trade carefully.

Q: Which exchange has the lowest fees for futures?

A: Delta Exchange India is extremely competitive with very low Maker fees, often cheaper than global giants when you factor in the savings on USDT conversion.

Q: Can I lose more than I invest in futures?

A: No. These exchanges use “Liquidation.” If your loss equals your collateral, the exchange automatically closes your trade to prevent you from going into debt.