Markets Open on February 1 for Union Budget Presentation
Stock Markets to Remain Open on Sunday; NSE and BSE to Trade on Budget Day: Trading will take place on the NSE and BSE on Sunday, February 1, 2026, even though it is a weekend. The stock markets will remain open because Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget for the financial year 2026–27 on that day.
Trading on Sunday: The National Stock Exchange (NSE) informed investors through a circular that it will hold a live trading session on Budget Day as per the regular schedule.
Pre-open market: 9:00 AM to 9:08 AM
Normal trading: 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM
Similarly, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has declared February 1 as a “special trading day”. The exchange confirmed that markets will operate during normal trading hours. Keeping markets open on Budget Day will allow investors to react immediately to policy announcements.
End to Budget Speculation:
The central government has confirmed that it will present the Union Budget 2026 on February 1, even though the date falls on a Sunday. The government has made no changes to the schedule, putting an end to all speculation.
The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) approved all key dates related to the Budget Session. The proposed schedule is as follows:
January 28: President’s address to the joint session of Parliament
January 29: Presentation of the Economic Survey
February 1 (Sunday): Presentation of the Union Budget 2026
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present her ninth budget on this occasion. So far, she has presented two interim budgets and six full budgets. With this budget, she will surpass Pranab Mukherjee’s record and match P. Chidambaram’s record of presenting the budget nine times.
This will be one of the rare occasions when the Union Budget is presented on a Sunday, making it historically important from both economic and political perspectives.
