Stock markets open on Sunday for Budget 2026: BSE, NSE say it'll be a regular trading session on February 1

BSE, NSE announce stock market will be open on February 1 on account of Budget 2026; here are the timings

• Stock markets will open for trading on Sunday, February 1, for Budget 2026
• Union Budget 2026 to be presented at 11 am by Finance Minister Sitharaman
• Trading hours on February 1 will follow standard timings from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm

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BSE, NSE on January 16 announced that stock markets will be open for trading on February 1 for Budget 2026. February 1 falls on a Sunday this year.

The stock exchanges announced that the schedule for that day will be as per standard timings.

"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)," said NSE in a circular.

The Union Budget for 2026 will be presented at 11 am on February 1, Sunday, Lok Sabha Speaker confirmed on January 12.

February 1 has become the standard date for the annual Budget exercise in recent years. The Union Budget for 2025 was also presented on February 1.

The 2026 Budget will mark Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s ninth consecutive Union Budget presentation, making it one of the longest uninterrupted Budget tenures by a finance minister.

Ahead of the Budget, the Ministry of Finance will release the Economic Survey, followed by a press briefing by Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran and senior officials.

The Department of Economic Affairs in the finance ministry carries out the mammoth exercise of preparing the documents. The Union Budget, which is an annual exercise, shows the health of the government’s finances in terms of estimated expenditures and earnings. It is also a document that showcases new financial schemes and plans that the Centre wishes to introduce in the upcoming fiscal year.

It may be recalled that markets were kept open on Saturday, February 1, 2025, Saturday, February 1, 2020 for Budget announcements and also on February 28 (Saturday), 2015.

Budget 2026 expectations

As Budget 2026 approaches, investors and tax experts are calling for refinements to India’s capital gains tax regime. Key demands include a reduction in the Long Term Capital Gain (LTCG) rate, low STT, higher exemption limits, uniform holding periods across asset classes, and restoration of indexation benefits.

They believe that such measures are crucial to easing tax burdens, protecting long-term savers, and sustaining investor confidence. Brokers, investors, AMCs, and market participants have lamented the higher taxes, stating that they discourage long-term investment. Further, in a financial year marked by volatility, market experts bemoaned the high taxes chipping away at the little gains made.