The equity markets will break from their usual weekend closure on Feb.1, with both the NSE and the BSE set to remain open as the Union Budget for 2026–2027 is unveiled.
The presentation of the Union Budget 2026 is scheduled for 11 am on Sunday, Feb.1.
In a rare break from convention, this is only the second time that equity markets will operate on a Sunday. The previous instance dates back more than two decades to Feb. 28, 1999, when then finance minister Yashwant Sinha presented the Budget under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government on a Sunday.
That year also marked the first time the Budget was delivered at 11 a.m., replacing the long-standing 5 p.m. tradition, a shift that drew significant market attention amid the unusual weekend sitting.
There have been earlier occasions when the Budget has been presented on a weekend, with the government seldom altering the date. In practice, Saturday sittings have been used to keep the presentation aligned with Parliament's timetable.
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Last year, Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the 2025–2026 Budget on a Saturday. Similar Saturday presentations were made by Arun Jaitley in 2015 and 2016, with earlier examples recorded in 2001 and 2004.
Both the National Stock Exchange and the BSE have lined up a complete trading session on Budget Day 2026, enabling investors to respond in real time to key policy announcements.
“On account of the presentation of the Union Budget, members are requested to note that the Exchange shall be conducting a live trading session on February 01, 2026,” the NSE said in a circular.
According to the NSE circular, the pre-open session will run from 9 am to 9:08 a.m., followed by regular trading hours from 9:15 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her ninth consecutive Union Budget this year, as anticipation builds around a possible restructuring of customs duties on the lines of earlier GST reforms.
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