Stock markets in India will remain open on Sunday, February 1 for the presentation of the Union Budget 2026. The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), on January 16, announced that, on account of the Union Budget presentation, it will conduct a live trading session on February 1, despite it being a Sunday (weekend).
On account of the presentation of the Union Budget, members are requested to note that Exchange shall be conducting a live trading session on February 01, 2026, as per the standard market timings (9:15 am - 3:30 pm)," the NSE said in a circular dated January 16.
BSE also issued a similar circular on January 16, saying, "…trading members of the Exchange are hereby informed that BSE Indices will be calculated on February 01, 2026 (Sunday), which is declared as a special trading day by the exchange on account of Union Budget 2026. Markets shall remain open for regular trading hours."
Stock market trading timings on February 1, 2026
As per the NSE circular, here is the trading timeline for the Budget day:
| Session | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Open* | 09:00 hrs | 09:08 hrs |
| Normal Market | 09:15 hrs | 15:30 hrs |
| Trade Modification End | 16:15 hrs |
*Random closure in the last one minute
MCX and NCDEX
Along with the NSE and BSE, the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) and the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) will also remain open for commodity trading on February 1, 2026.
"On account of the presentation of the Union Budget, a special live trading session will be held on Sunday, February 01, 2026," the MCX said in a circular on January 16. Here are the timings:
| Session | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Special Session | 08:45 a.m. | 08:59 a.m. |
| Trading Session | 09:00 a.m. | 05:00 p.m. |
| Client Code Modification Session | 09:00 a.m. | 05:15 p.m. |
This means that the key trading window will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Similarly, NCDEX also issued a circular saying, "Members and clients are hereby informed that a live Trading session will be held on Sunday, February 01, 2026 on account of presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27."
It added, "Pre-Open session shall start from 9:45 a.m., and client code modifications will be allowed from 10:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m." This means that trading will be allowed from 10 am to 5 pm for all commodities on the NCDEX.
Stock markets in India are usually shut for trading on Saturdays and Sundays, along with MCX and NCDEX. All exchanges operate between Monday and Friday every week, except for special circumstances like the Union Budget this year.
High volatility is expected on all the exchanges on the Budget day, as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to make key announcements regarding several sectors, policy, import duties and personal tax. Budget announcements can impact commodity prices, as well as result in fluctuations in the market.
FM Sitharaman will be making history by presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget since assuming office in 2019.

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