Why is my trading balance different from my available balance?

Trading balance usually refers to the total funds in the account, including amounts that are currently blocked as margin against open positions, pledged holdings, or unsettled trades. Available balance is what’s actually free to use for placing new orders, after subtracting whatever’s already committed elsewhere. So if you have ₹1 lakh in your account but ₹40,000 is blocked as margin for an open F&O position, your trading balance might show ₹1 lakh while your available balance shows ₹60,000. The gap between the two numbers is essentially a map of how much of your capital is currently tied up. You check available balance, not total balance, before placing a new order, since relying on the total figure is a common way traders accidentally get an order rejected for insufficient margin.