Your First Live Bot: How Much Capital Is Enough?
Your bot is ready. Your API is connected. Your strategy looks good in backtesting. 
How much money should you actually put into your first LIVE bot?
1. Start With Risk, Not Capital
Imagine you have ₹10,000 available for trading.
Instead of asking how much leverage you can use, first decide how much you’re willing to lose per trade.
Here’s an example:
Trading Capital: ₹10,000
Risk Per Trade: ₹160
Planned Stop-Loss: 2%
Approximate Position Value: Risk Per Trade ÷ Planned Stop-Loss = ₹160 ÷ 0.02 = ₹8,000
Margin at 2× Leverage: ₹8,000 ÷ 2 = ₹4,000
Remember: There’s no single starting amount for every bot. Your actual capital requirement depends on the contract you trade, position size, leverage and strategy.
2. Don't Deploy Your Entire Balance!
Your bot needs room for more than the first order.
Before going live, account for:
Margin: Capital required to open and maintain positions.
Trading Costs: Entry/exit fees, funding and slippage.
Losing Trades: Enough capital to absorb a losing streak.
Safety Buffer: Extra funds for unexpected volatility and margin requirements.
3. Test Before You Trade LIVE
Before deploying real capital, ask yourself:
Does my bot respect its stop-loss?
Have I tested its performance after fees?
Can it handle API failures or duplicate orders?
What’s its maximum historical drawdown?
A profitable backtest is not proof of a profitable live bot!
Want to Test Your Bot Before Risking Real Money?
Start with Delta Algo Builder.
Build your trading rules.
Backtest to study returns and drawdowns.
Paper Trade to observe your strategy without using real funds.
Before deciding whether to start with ₹5,000 or ₹50,000, test your strategy’s drawdown and risk in Delta Algo Builder.
How much capital are you considering for your first live trading bot?
A) Under ₹5,000
B) ₹5,000–₹10,000
C) ₹10,000–₹50,000
D) Above ₹50,000
Comment A, B, C or D! Also tell us what’s holding you back: capital, strategy testing or API setup?