Every Diwali, the Indian stock market marks the occasion with a special one-hour evening trading session known as Muhurat Trading. Considered an auspicious time to invest, the tradition has become symbolic of prosperity, with investors viewing it as an opportunity to usher in wealth and success in their portfolios.
This year, both the BSE and NSE will conduct the Muhurat Trading session on Sunday, November 8, from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm. While markets will remain closed during the regular trading session, this special evening session allows investors to make token investments, keeping alive the long-standing tradition of trading during Diwali.
Historically, Muhurat trading sessions have often ended on a positive note, even though trading volumes tend to remain relatively low. The special session witnesses participation from traders, retail investors, and institutional investors alike, reflecting optimism and confidence about the year ahead.
Although trading activity is usually subdued, the session symbolises optimism and confidence in the markets as investors look forward to achieving their financial milestones in the new Samvat year.
How have markets performed during Muhurat Trading?
Over the past 10 years, Nifty has closed in positive territory on eight occasions during the special trading session, indicating a historically positive trend. Although the Nifty has ended higher eight times, it has never recorded a gain of more than 1%. Its strongest performance during this period came in 2022, when it rallied 0.88%.
In 2025, Muhurat Trading was held on October 21, with the benchmark indices closing marginally higher.
One of the most notable Muhurat Trading sessions took place on October 28, 2008, amid the global financial crisis, when benchmark indices surged nearly 6%, recording their biggest-ever gains during the ceremonial session.
For many Dalal Street investors, making fresh investments during Muhurat Trading is considered auspicious, as the session marks the beginning of a new Hindu calendar year and is associated with prosperity and good fortune.
Samvat 2082: A challenging year for Dalal Street
Samvat 2082 was one of the toughest years for Indian equities in recent memory. The US-Israel-Iran conflict pushed crude oil prices above $110 a barrel, triggering an 11.3% decline in the Nifty in March alone. Rising US bond yields and a rupee hovering around 96 against the dollar added to the pressure.
With inflation rising, the RBI reversed course and hiked the repo rate to 5.50%. FPIs pulled out a record ₹3.3 lakh crore (around $35 billion), but domestic investors more than offset the outflows. DIIs infused approximately ₹8.8 lakh crore (around $94 billion), including a record ₹1.43 lakh crore in March, while monthly SIP inflows touched an all-time high of ₹32,490 crore, according to domestic brokerage firm Axis Direct.
What lies ahead in Samvat 2083?
Entering Samvat 2083, Axis Direct said economic growth remained resilient at 7.8% in Q1 FY27, while valuations had reset to around 16.5 times forward price-to-earnings (P/E), below historical averages. With sharp earnings rebound expected in Q2 FY27 and double-digit earnings growth projected for FY27 and FY28, the fundamental backdrop supports a stronger year ahead, the brokerage said.
Motilal Oswal also echoed the positive outlook, noting that domestic economic growth remained robust, with GDP expanding 7.8% in Q1 FY27. Budgeted capital expenditure of ₹12.2 lakh crore, along with last year’s tax and GST relief measures, is expected to support demand, while record SIP inflows have helped absorb foreign investor selling.
Activity in the primary market has also remained strong, with Jio Platforms’ record-breaking IPO and the proposed NSE listing among the major developments. More than 225 companies are reportedly in the IPO pipeline.
Key monitorables for the year ahead include the RBI’s interest rate trajectory, crude oil prices, FII flows, trade agreements, and corporate earnings growth, it added.
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