In an unusual move, Indian stock exchanges will conduct full trading sessions on a Sunday. The Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange announced this special schedule for February 1, 2026. This date coincides with the presentation of the Union Budget for 2026-27 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Special Sunday Trading Session Details
Both exchanges issued separate circulars confirming the decision. Trading hours will mirror regular market days despite the weekend date. The pre-open session starts at 9:00 AM and concludes at 9:08 AM. Normal equity market trading then runs from 9:15 AM until 3:30 PM.
BSE clarified that equity, futures and options, and commodity derivatives segments will operate normally. However, the exchange specified two exceptions. The T+0 settlement session will not function on that Sunday. Additionally, the auction session for settlement defaults remains suspended for the day.
Historical Context and Rarity
This decision represents a significant departure from standard market operations. Stock markets traditionally close on weekends and select public holidays. February 1, 2026, will become one of the very few working Sundays in recent memory for Dalal Street.
This marks the first Union Budget presentation on a Sunday since the year 2000. Recent years have seen some deviation from weekday norms. Finance Minister Sitharaman presented the 2025 Budget on a Saturday. Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also delivered the 2015 Budget on February 28, which fell on a Saturday that year.
What Operates and What Remains Closed
Core market segments will function through standard trading hours on Budget day. BSE confirmed the suspension of the T+0 settlement session and the auction session for settlement defaults. NSE announced normal operations for capital markets and derivatives segments.
2026 Market Holiday Calendar
Apart from regular weekends, Indian stock exchanges observe sixteen public holidays during 2026. The next scheduled closure occurs on January 26 for Republic Day.
Key holidays in the first half of the year include:
- Holi on March 3
- Ram Navami on March 26
- Mahavir Jayanti on March 31
- Good Friday on April 3
- Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14
- Maharashtra Day on May 1
- Bakri Id on May 28
Second half market closures feature:
- Muharram on June 26
- Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14
- Gandhi Jayanti on October 2
- Dussehra on October 20
- Diwali Balipratipada on November 10
- Guru Nanak Jayanti on November 24
- Christmas on December 25
Christmas Day serves as the final market holiday for 2026. The special Sunday session provides investors immediate opportunity to react to budget announcements before regular Monday trading resumes.
