Mumbai: India's leading stock exchanges, BSE and NSE, announced on Friday that markets will remain open for trading on Sunday, February 1, when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget 2026-27. The decision marks a rare operational exception for Dalal Street and allows investors to react immediately to fiscal policy announcements.

Both exchanges issued separate circulars confirming the special trading session. Trading will follow standard market hours, with pre-open sessions running from 9:00 AM to 9:08 AM and normal trading from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM. Equity, futures, options, and commodity derivatives segments will all operate during normal hours.

Historic Sunday Session

This will be the first time in India's parliamentary history that a Union Budget is presented on a Sunday. In 1999, then Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha advanced his budget by a day to February 27 to avoid presenting it on February 28, which fell on a Sunday. While Finance Minister Sitharaman presented the 2025 Budget on a Saturday, and former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley delivered budgets on Saturdays in 2015 and 2016, no budget has been delivered on a Sunday until now.

The upcoming presentation will be Sitharaman's ninth consecutive Union Budget, extending her record for the most consecutive budget presentations under a single Prime Minister.

What Stays Open, What Doesn't

According to BSE's circular, while core market segments will function normally, certain specialised sessions will remain suspended. "Trading Members may note that trading in T+0 Settlement Session and Auction Session for settlement default will not be conducted on Sunday, February 01, 2026," BSE stated.

NSE confirmed in its circular: "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."

Budget Session Timeline

The Budget Session of Parliament will begin on January 28 with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint session. The Economic Survey will be tabled on January 29, followed by the Union Budget presentation at 11 AM on February 1. The first phase of the session runs until February 13, with Parliament reconvening on March 9 through April 2.

The decision to keep markets open ensures traders can respond to budget announcements in real time, rather than waiting until Monday to price in fiscal policy changes affecting sectors such as taxation, infrastructure spending, and public investment priorities for fiscal year 2026-27.