New Delhi, 31 March (H.S.):

India’s domestic stock exchanges are closed today for the trading session on account of Mahavir Jayanti, while commodity markets will operate only in the evening trading session.

Stock markets remain shut

Due to the Mahavir Jayanti holiday, there will be no trading on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Tuesday, March 31.

The same holiday applies to the daytime trading session of commodity exchanges, which will remain closed from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

However, the evening session of the commodity markets will function as usual, with normal trading scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 11:55 p.m., allowing participants in metals, agri‑commodities and other derivatives to continue business after sunset.

Shortened weekly trading calendar

This week, the Indian equity markets will remain open for only three trading days. After Monday’s one‑day session, trading will resume on Wednesday and Thursday, with Friday—April 3—declared a holiday for Good Friday.

In the preceding week, the market had opened for only four days due to a holiday on Ram Navami, mirroring the pattern of compressed trading weeks driven by festival and religious observances.

Calendar of market holidays in 2026

According to the official holiday calendar issued by the stock exchanges, Indian markets will remain closed for 16 additional days in 2026, apart from the regular weekly holidays on Saturdays and Sundays.

March turns out to be the month with the highest number of such holidays, having already seen trading breaks on Holi (March 3), Ram Navami (March 26), and now Mahavir Jayanti on March 31.

The calendar indicates that the next market holiday will fall on April 3, when Good Friday will keep equity and most derivatives markets shut. Other key holidays include Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, Maharashtra Day on May 1, Bakri Eid on May 28, and Muharram on June 26, when the stock exchanges will remain closed.

Summer and festival‑heavy months

As per the calendar, July and August will see no additional market holidays beyond the weekly closures, providing a relatively uninterrupted trading window in the heart of the monsoon season.

In September, Ganesh Chaturthi on the 14th will be observed as a holiday, while in October the markets will shut on October 2 for Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti and again on October 20 for Dussehra.

In November, the exchanges will close on November 10 for Diwali and Bali Pratipada, and again on November 24 for Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti. Finally, the year will conclude with a Christmas holiday on December 25, bringing the total number of non‑weekly trading holidays for 2026 to 16.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar