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In a rare departure from routine, India’s equity markets will remain open on Sunday, February 1, to coincide with the presentation of the Union Budget for 2026–27. Both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the BSE will operate a full trading session, allowing investors to react instantly to policy announcements made during the Budget speech.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Union Budget at 11 am on Sunday. This marks only the second time in over two decades that Indian stock markets will function on a Sunday. The last such instance was on February 28, 1999, when then finance minister Yashwant Sinha presented the Budget under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government. That year was also notable for shifting the Budget presentation time from the traditional 5 pm to 11 am.
While weekend Budget presentations are uncommon, there have been several Saturday sittings over the years to align with Parliament’s schedule. Sitharaman presented the 2025–26 Budget on a Saturday last year, while former finance minister Arun Jaitley delivered Budgets on Saturdays in 2015 and 2016. Similar instances were recorded in 2001 and 2004.
The NSE, in a circular, confirmed that a live trading session will be held on February 1. The pre-open session will run from 9 am to 9:08 am, followed by regular trading from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm. Sitharaman will be presenting her ninth consecutive Budget, with expectations of key policy reforms, including possible changes to customs duties.
