Why does my fund balance not include profits from today/previous trading day?

The available margin on funds only takes into account the credits that are available for your trading. From September 2020 onwards, upfront margin regulations are applicable that mandate that intraday profits shall not be made accessible for trading until they are settled by the exchange, i.e., T+2 day for equity trades and T+1 for Futures and Options.

Let’s take a look at an example.

On Tuesday (T day), you purchase stocks costing Rs 3 Lakhs and sell them the very day for Rs. 3.20 Lakhs. Immediately, you’ll have Rs. 3 Lakhs readily available for other transactions. On the other hand, the profit you made of Rs. 20 thousand will be available in your funds only on Thursday, i.e., T+2 day.