In which direction terrace should be in apartment to get maximum sunlight?

It is highly difficult to observe this type in case of apartments as you can select a piece already built. But if you build a house on your own you can do. However south facing entrance is good as you can get sunlight inside either or both sides.

If you have a choice then you should try to select a house in which terrace is looking towards South-East to South-West direction. This is quite big an angle of about 90 degrees and for all practical purposes will collect the sufficient light especially during the winters.

Another aspect is at what time of the day you prefer to have more sunlight. If it is morning then East facing terrace will be a good option. In other case that is evening then one may choose to go for a west facing terrace.

In my flat I am having a terrace in South-Westerly direction so we are getting ample sunlight from 1 PM to sunset time. Of course if you are in the middle of so many high rising buildings then your sunlight time will further reduce due to the shadows of those buildings. That again depends at which floor you are residing.

North or south facing terrace will give ample sunlight with no bad effects. East or west facing balcony will bring in a lot of direct sunlight. West or north-west will bring a lot of wind.
South-facing balconies get sunlight almost the whole day. It is good to have a terrace if you like sunshine. The size can be decided based on the space available.
East facing balcony will be good for having morning sun rays.
On west-facing balconies, the sun rays will not be there until early afternoon. For people who want to sit in the evenings, this will be an ideal spot.
The north facing terrace will not have any sunlight throughout the day. Good seating arrangements and decorations in light colours will give a better look to this balcony.
My personal choice is a north east facing terrace which will give you moderate light and heat and brings a good look to the apartment.

In general, South facing terrace will have good sunlight especially in winters. It is believed that morning sunlight is very soothing and useful for our household purposes like drying of clothes etc. From that angle, I will advise for an East facing terrace.

Any house where sun light is penetrating inside is supposed to be vibrant with positive energy and from that point of view a terrace in Eastern or South-Eastern direction will be an ideal thing.

East facing terrace will have ample sunlight in the morning as the sun rises from the east. But it depends as if you have a high rise building /tower in front of your terrace then you will be deprived of that sunlight.

In builder flats, you have the choice during the initial purchase but afterwards, you have the limited options so do election wisely.

Members have given various answers. The answers are all different. I would like to say that the availability of sunlight mainly depends upon the location of the place. Some places (cities) receive more sunlight than other cities. As for example, Delhi receives much less sunlight than Chennai. So, this question can't be answered so easily.

Further, in this age of high-rises, the direction of the terrace does not depend upon the wish of the buyer. So, no definite answer to the present question is feasible. It varies from place to place.

The best possible position for allowing sunlight and good ventilation enter your house, is having opening at both east and south. This way, your house will get the maximum morning sunlight which is not scorching at the same time will refresh your house.
An opening at the south will allow the sunlight into your house in the late hours of morning and towards noon. Unless you live in a cold-weather place, avoid facing west-facing houses, as it will only lit up your room with sunlight at the afternoons which is scorching and will not be pleasant like the morning.