Budget 2026 Day: BSE And NSE To Remain Open On February 1 For Live Stock Trading

Budget 2026 Day: BSE And NSE To Remain Open On February 1 For Live Stock Trading

Stock exchanges BSE and NSE on Friday confirmed that equity markets will remain open for trading on February 1 (Sunday), the day the Union Budget 2026 is scheduled to be presented.

Both exchanges said trading on that day will follow normal market hours, with no special or curtailed session planned. In a circular issued to members, the NSE said, “On account of the presentation of the Union Budget, members are requested to note that Exchange shall be conducting live trading session on February 01, 2026, as per the standard market timings."

The stock market timings are between 9:15 am and 3:30 pm for live trading, while 9:00 to 9:15 am remains pre-market minutes.

The announcement clarifies that investors will be able to trade across segments during regular hours as the finance minister presents the Budget, continuing the recent practice of keeping markets open on Budget day.

The Union Budget for 2026 will be presented at 11 am on February 1, Sunday, Lok Sabha Speaker confirmed on January 12.

The 2026 Budget will be the ninth consecutive Union Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, placing her among finance ministers with the longest uninterrupted Budget tenures. The forthcoming Budget is expected to lay out the government's fiscal and economic priorities for the next financial year against the backdrop of changing domestic and global economic conditions.

Since 2017, the government has followed the practice of presenting the Union Budget at 11 am on February 1, after advancing it from the earlier tradition of February 28. The shift was first implemented during the tenure of former finance minister Arun Jaitley, with the aim of ensuring quicker implementation of budgetary proposals from the start of the new financial year.

However, presenting the Budget on a weekend would not be unprecedented. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had presented the Budget 2025 on a Saturday, while former finance minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budgets of 2015 and 2016 on February 28, both Saturdays.

Source: News18
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