Sunday is usually a quiet day on Dalal Street, but not this week. With Union Budget 2026 less than a day away, Indian investors have been keenly watching for signals about the key document that outlines the nation’s economic roadmap, and gives insights into the government’s fiscal policies.
The Centre has consistently presented the Union Budget on 1 February for over several years, and 2026 is no exception. However, this time, the date falls on a Sunday marking the first such Budget presentation since 1999.
Last year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had unveiled the Budget on a Saturday – when stock markets had opened for trading. This has left investors wondering whether the BSE and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) will follow suit and stay open on February 1 this year as well, even though it is a Sunday.
Is the Indian stock market open on Budget day?
Earlier this month, both NSE and BSE, in separate circulars, announced that the exchanges will be open on the day of the Union Budget presentation, Sunday, February 1, 2026 for a special trading session.
The regular trade timings from 9 am to 3.30 pm will be followed.
“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 (9:15 am-3:30 pm),” the NSE circular read.
However, NSE clarified that T+0 settlement shall not be available due to a settlement holiday.
Is the commodity market open?
Besides the Indian stock market, the commodity market, too, will be open for trading in the morning session.
According to an MCX circular, on account of the presentation of the Union Budget, a special live trading session will be held on Sunday, February 01, 2026.
The market timings will be as follows:
Special Session: 08:45 a.m. – 08:59 a.m.
Trading Session: 09:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m.
Client Code Modification Session: 09:00 a.m. – 05:15 p.m.
What experts said about Budget day trading strategy
With reference to intraday trading strategy on Budget 2026 date, experts have urged traders to be especially careful. Santosh Meena, Head of Research at Swastika Investmart said that Budget Day has historically been among the most volatile sessions for Indian markets, with sharp price swings often resulting in heavy losses for retail participants.
On Friday, the Indian stock market traded cautiously, retreating from recent highs amid aggressive selling in metal and IT stocks. Mixed global cues and a weak rupee limited intraday recoveries, while gains in FMCG, healthcare, media, consumer durables and select PSU banks offered some support. Overall sentiment stayed guarded as investors balanced pre-Budget positioning with global headwinds.
