Covered calls generate income from existing holdings (mildly bullish, short volatility); straddles bet on big moves (long) or no moves (short); iron condors monetize range-bound, low-volatility phases with defined risk. In India, margins follow SPAN/portfolio rules and costs include STT (options sale: 0.1% since Oct 1, 2024) and the higher 0.125% on exercised options. (NSE Clearing, NSE India)
Why this matters
Options let algorithmic traders express direction, volatility, and time-decay views with precision. Picking the right structure—and coding robust entries, exits, and risk—can turn noisy markets into systematic income or convex payoff profiles. This guide distills three workhorse strategies for Indian markets and shows how to systematize them.
Strategy at a glance (cheat-sheet)
| Strategy | View | Volatility View | Payoff | Max Profit | Max Loss | Breakeven(s) | Greeks (sign) | Typical Use |
| Covered Call (Long stock + Short Call) | Mildly bullish to neutral | Short vol (harvest θ) | Limited upside, buffered downside | Premium received + (cap to call strike) | Stock downside beyond zero minus premium | Stock cost − premium | +Δ (reduced), −Vega, +Theta | Yield on long equity, cash-flow |
| Straddle (Short) (Sell ATM Call + Put) | Neutral | Strongly short vol | Flat if price stays near strike | Net premium | Large if price moves a lot | Strike ± net premium | ~0Δ, −Vega, +Theta, −Gamma | Range-bound, mean-reverting regimes |
| Straddle (Long) (Buy ATM Call + Put) | Direction-agnostic, needs move | Long vol | Convex upside on big move | Unlimited (less premiums) | Premiums paid | Same as above | ~0Δ, +Vega, −Theta, +Gamma | Events: results, policy |
| Iron Condor (Short) (Sell OTM Put/Call; buy further OTM wings) | Neutral | Short vol (defined risk) | Premium within range; capped loss outside | Net credit | Width of spread − credit | Two: lower short put ± credit; upper short call ± credit | ~0Δ, −Vega, +Theta, −Gamma | Quiet weeks, range trading |
(Payoff formulas shown below.)
Indian market plumbing you must code for
- Margins & hedging: NSE Clearing uses SPAN® (portfolio-based) margining; hedged structures (e.g., iron condors) typically demand far less margin than naked shorts. Your backtests should simulate SPAN+Exposure logic rather than flat “per-lot” assumptions. (NSE Clearing)
- STT & frictions: Since 1 Oct 2024, STT on options sale = 0.1% of premium; on exercise = 0.125% on intrinsic value; futures sale = 0.02%. These materially affect short-vol P&L and expiry behavior. (NSE India)
- Lot sizes change: Contract sizes are adjusted to maintain minimum contract value; always read the current NSE parameters/lists before sizing. (NSE India)
- Taxation: Listed F&O profits are treated as non-speculative business income (Section 43(5)(d)); most individuals file via ITR-3 for such activity. Model P&L post-tax if you compare to cash equity. (ClearTax, CAclubindia)
1) Covered Calls (income on long equity or ETFs)
Build: Long cash equity (or long futures for index proxies) + short OTM call (weekly or monthly).
Payoff:
- Max Profit = min[(Call strike − Stock cost), 0] + Premium
- Max Loss = Stock cost − 0 − Premium (stock can go to zero)
- Breakeven = Stock cost − Premium
Algo ideas (India-centric):
- Signal: Sell calls when IV Percentile (IVP) ≥ 70 and trend score for the stock/index is 0 to +0.5 (mildly bullish).
- Tenor: Weekly expiries to maximize theta/decay; skip event weeks (earnings, RBI policy).
- Execution: Filter strikes by bid-ask ≤ 0.5% of premium and OI/volume thresholds to avoid slippage.
- Roll rules: Delta-based rolling (e.g., roll when short call Δ > 0.35) or price-based (underlying approaches strike).
- Costs to model: Brokerage + STT 0.1% on option sale, exchange/clearing, stamp duty, GST. Expiry assignment risk triggers 0.125% STT on intrinsic—exit or roll before close if deep ITM. (NSE India)
Where it shines: Flat-to-slow uptrends in NIFTY 50 constituents or index ETFs; income overlay for PMS-style equity sleeves.
2) Straddles (bet on movement… or not)
Long Straddle (event/vol breakout):
- Buy ATM call + ATM put (same expiry).
- Breakeven(s) = Strike ± Net premium.
- Works when realized volatility > implied; ideal into results, Union Budget, global risk events.
Short Straddle (income/range):
- Sell ATM call + ATM put; collect high premium when IVP ≥ 80 and realized vol is muted.
- Max Profit = Net premium; Loss grows with distance from strike.
- Risk controls:
- Stop-loss: Greek-aware exits (e.g., close if combined Δ risk exceeds X or MTM loss hits Y).
- Dynamic hedges: Buy wings to convert into iron butterfly; or gamma-scalp with futures when feasible.
- Calendar sense: Avoid expiry-week gamma spikes or thin-liquidity holidays.
India watch-outs: Short straddles look attractive on paper but STT + margin add-ons (e.g., expiry-day ELM on short index options) and slippage can erase edge. Test using trade prints or conservative mid-price haircuts. (NSE Clearing)
3) Iron Condors (defined-risk premium selling)
Build (short condor):
Sell OTM put (K1), buy deeper OTM put (K0), sell OTM call (K2), buy further OTM call (K3), all same expiry.
- Max Profit = Net credit.
- Max Loss = Max(put-spread width, call-spread width) − Net credit.
- Breakeven(s) = K1 − Credit and K2 + Credit.
- Greeks: Near-neutral Δ, −Vega, +Theta, −Gamma.
Algo ideas:
- Setup: When IVP ≥ 70 but trend regime = sideways (use ADX, slope of NIFTY/MIDCPNIFTY) and 5–10 DTE for strong decay with manageable gamma.
- Wing placement: Short strikes at 15–20Δ, wings 5–7 strikes away; size credit to cover 2× expected slippage + all costs.
- Risk: Per-spread max-loss cap + portfolio-level VaR; stop at 50–70% of max credit loss or Δ drift beyond band.
- Margin: Portfolio (SPAN) recognizes offsets; iron condor margin is materially lower than a naked strangle—one reason it’s favored in India. (NSE Clearing, Zerodha)
Payoff mini-formulas (for quick reference)
- Covered Call total payoff at expiry = min(S_T − K_call, 0) + (S_T − S_0) + Premium
- Short Straddle payoff = −|S_T − K| + Premium
- Long Straddle payoff = |S_T − K| − Premium
- Short Iron Condor payoff =
- +Credit if K1 ≤ S_T ≤ K2
- Else −(distance beyond short strike, capped by long wing) + Credit
Robust backtesting notes (what to always include)
- Real costs: Brokerage, exchange/clearing, stamp duty, GST, STT updated to current rates (sale 0.1%, exercise 0.125%). (NSE India)
- Fill model: Use worst of (mid, last) or add a spread penalty by strike liquidity bucket.
- Regime filters: Combine IVP, trend/ADX, event calendar to avoid structurally bad zones (e.g., RBI day short-gamma).
- Margin simulation: Incorporate SPAN + Exposure and expiry-day add-ons when short index options. (NSE Clearing)
- Survivorship & look-ahead: Use as-listed strikes and remove future knowledge (no peeking at end-of-day IV).
- TCA: Add market impact for multi-leg orders; prefer spread/straddle order books or smart-routing assumptions.
Practical Indian examples
- Income overlay on NIFTY 50 holdings: Monthly covered calls one step OTM; skip weeks with Union Budget or major index rebalances to avoid assignment/STT hits. (NSE India)
- Weekly short-vol harvest: Iron condor on NIFTY or FINNIFTY with 15–20Δ shorts and 5–7Δ wings, 5–8 DTE, exit at 50% max credit loss or 75–85% profit-target. Margin benefits accrue from hedging under SPAN. (NSE Clearing, Zerodha)
- Event straddles: Long straddles into results for large-cap stocks or RBI policy; require pre-defined IV crush thresholds to justify premium outlay.
Compliance & taxes (fast facts)
- STT today (equity derivatives): Options sale 0.1% of premium; if exercised, 0.125% on intrinsic; futures sale 0.02%. Factor this into expiry-day logic to avoid unintended exercise. (NSE India)
- Income head: Listed F&O is non-speculative business income; individuals commonly file ITR-3; turnover & audit rules may apply—consult your CA. (ClearTax, The Times of India)
FAQs
Q1. Is a covered call on index futures equivalent to stock covered calls?
Similar income profile, but index options are cash-settled and avoid corporate-action risks. Margins and STT still apply. (NSE Clearing, NSE India)
Q2. Why do many algos avoid short straddles on expiry day?
Gamma risk and expiry-day add-on margins for short index options can spike drawdowns; slippage is also higher near the close. (NSE Clearing)
Q3. What’s the biggest modeling mistake in India?
Ignoring post-2024 STT and SPAN-based margin offsets. These two can flip a strategy from profitable to unprofitable. (NSE India, NSE Clearing)
Key takeaways
- Pick the structure that matches your direction and volatility view: covered calls (mild bullish, short vol), straddles (movement vs range), iron condors (range, defined risk).
- In India, costs and margins are destiny—code SPAN-aware margining and current STT; avoid expiry pitfalls. (NSE Clearing, NSE India)
- Build algos with regime filters, execution guards, and disciplined exits. Backtests must include real-world frictions for credibility.