NSE, BSE Closed Today March 31 – Full Stock Market Holiday List for 2026

[ MARKETS CLOSED NOW ]

Your broker app is loading. The charts are flat. The order button is grey. And you’re wondering – did my internet die, or is the market actually shut?

It’s shut. And not just today.

Cross-referencing NSE Circular NSE/CMTR/71775 (dated December 12, 2025) against live markets coverage published March 30, 2026, here is what every Indian investor needs to know right now: BSE and NSE are closed on March 31, 2026 for Shri Mahavir Jayanti. But the more critical piece — one that most holiday articles bury or miss entirely — is what happens on April 1. Markets are open for trading that day. But your settlement won’t move. That’s a settlement holiday, and it is not the same thing.

Miss that distinction, and you could be planning an exit that doesn’t clear when you need it to.

1. March 31, 2026 is a full trading holiday — no equities, no derivatives, no SLB segment trading on NSE or BSE.
2. April 1 is a settlement holiday (annual bank closing) — you can trade, but funds and securities won’t settle.
3. April 3 (Good Friday) is the next full closure — meaning two consecutive disruptions to normal settlement this week.
4. 15 official weekday trading holidays exist in 2026, per NSE Circular NSE/CMTR/71775 (December 2025).
5. MCX runs a partial evening session today (5:00 PM to 11:55 PM) even on March 31 — commodity traders, take note.

Why this matters to you right now: If you placed an order on March 30 expecting T+1 settlement on March 31 — that settlement has moved. Plan your cash flow for the week accordingly.

Why Do Indian Stock Markets Close for Mahavir Jayanti – and Why Does That Affect April 1 Too?

Shri Mahavir Jayanti marks the birth of Lord Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankara and the founder of modern Jainism. It is a gazetted national holiday observed across India, and stock exchanges have historically observed full closures on this day.

But here’s the part most investors miss in 2026.

Under India’s T+1 equity settlement system, trades execute on day one and settle on the next working day. A trade placed on March 30 (Monday) would normally settle on March 31 (Tuesday). But March 31 is a trading holiday. So settlement moves to the next working day – which is April 1.

Here’s where it gets more complicated. April 1, 2026 is a settlement holiday due to annual bank closing – the day Indian banks close their books for the financial year. On a settlement holiday, trading is permitted on exchanges, but clearing and settlement activities are suspended. No pay-in or payout of funds or stocks happens on that day.

This means a trade placed on March 30 could have its settlement pushed to April 2, 2026 — a 3-day gap instead of the standard T+1.

Expertise Note: The T+1 settlement cycle was adopted by Indian exchanges in phases, completing a full transition by January 2023 (per SEBI circular). Investors used to T+2 timelines from prior years should update their settlement planning. The annual bank closing on April 1 is a standard Reserve Bank of India–directed closure for public sector and commercial banks  it is a recurring calendar event, not an exchange policy change.

Cause → Effect → Reader Impact:

• Cause: March 31 trading holiday (Mahavir Jayanti) + April 1 settlement holiday (annual bank closing)
• Effect: Any trade placed on March 30 faces a settlement gap of up to 3 business days
• Reader Impact: If you need funds from a Monday trade to pay for something this week, do not count on receiving them before April 2 at the earliest. Margin requirements for open F&O positions also need to be managed over this gap.

Is MCX Open on March 31, 2026? What Commodity Traders Need to Do Right Now

Most articles stop at “NSE and BSE are closed.” Here’s what they leave out for commodity traders in India.

On March 31, 2026, the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) follows a split-session schedule:

• Morning session (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM): CLOSED
• Evening session (5:00 PM to 11:55 PM): OPEN

The NCDEX (National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange), however, remains closed for the entire day.

Field Note: Cross-referencing NSE Circular NSE/CMTR/71775 against Business Standard’s March 30, 2026 market coverage confirms that MCX’s evening session continuation on trading holidays is a standing exchange policy — not a special dispensation for Mahavir Jayanti specifically. Commodity traders holding positions in crude oil, gold, or silver futures should factor this into their intraday planning for today.

5 steps to navigate today if you’re a commodity trader:

1. Verify your broker’s session timings. Some platforms auto-pause access during the morning window even when MCX evening sessions are active. Check your broker’s app or website before assuming access.
2. Check open positions in gold, silver, or crude contracts expiring in April. The March 31 evening session is a high-stakes window to exit or roll before the April 3 Good Friday closure creates another gap.
3. Set margin alerts for the long weekend. Two consecutive closures (March 31 + April 3) mean four days without active equity settlement. Keep a buffer in your trading account.
4. Check NCDEX separately if you trade agri-commodities. NCDEX is fully closed today with no evening session at all. Your next window is April 1.
5. Monitor MCX from 4:45 PM onwards. Pre-market activity and order placement typically opens 15 minutes before the evening session start at 5:00 PM.

Common Mistake: Commodity traders often assume MCX and NSE follow identical holiday schedules. They do not. MCX observes its own holiday calendar which partially overlaps with NSE but differs on session structures. Always check mcxindia.com or your broker’s app for today’s live session status — never rely on a general “market holiday” notification alone.

Act Now: If you hold open positions on NCDEX agri-contracts, your next window to manage them is April 1, 2026 (trading is open on commodity exchanges even if equity settlement is suspended). Do not wait until April 3 — that’s Good Friday, another full closure.

For a full breakdown of how NSE Market Timings and Holidays interact with commodity exchanges throughout 2026, check our dedicated timings guide.

Indian Stock Market Holiday Today – March 31, 2026: Real-Time Status for India

As of March 31, 2026, both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) are officially closed across all segments — equity, equity derivatives, currency derivatives, and Securities Lending & Borrowing (SLB).

This closure follows a high-volatility session on March 30, when the Sensex dropped over 1,200 points intraday as West Asia conflict fears escalated, per Business Standard’s live markets desk. With markets shut for two consecutive days (March 31 holiday + April 1 settlement holiday), Indian retail investors face a critical 4-day settlement window during one of the most turbulent market patches of Q1 2026.

Act Now: If you have pending SIP executions or auto-buy orders queued for today, check your broker’s app immediately. Most platforms will auto-defer to the next trading day (April 1, 2026) – but verify manually, especially if you hold margin positions that auto-square off at month-end.

Official Helpdesk:

• NSE Toll-Free: 1800-266-0050 (Select IVR Option 1 for trade support)
• NSE Support Hours: 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM (next day), Monday to Friday
• Official Holiday List: nseindia.com/resources/exchange-communication-holidays

Verified at nseindia.com, March 31, 2026.

Official NSE and BSE Trading Holiday List 2026 — All 15 Dates From the Source

Here is the complete list of Indian stock market trading holidays in 2026, sourced directly from NSE Circular NSE/CMTR/71775, issued December 12, 2025, signed by Khushal Shah, Associate Vice President, NSE. Total weekday trading holidays: 15.

Holidays falling on weekends (no additional market closure):

Conflicting Data: Some third-party aggregator sources claim 16 trading holidays in 2026 and include a Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Election on January 15 as an additional closure. The official NSE Circular NSE/CMTR/71775 (Tier-1 source, December 12, 2025) lists 15 weekday trading holidays and does not include January 15. We are using the Tier-1 NSE Circular as the authoritative figure. Traders in Maharashtra should verify directly at nseindia.com or bseindia.com for any additional state-level circular.

Source: NSE Circular NSE/CMTR/71775, Tier-1, December 12, 2025. Circular PDF: nsearchives.nseindia.com/content/circulars/CMTR71775.pdf

F&O Expiry Dates That Shift in 2026 – Three Mission-Critical Dates Traders Miss

When a trading holiday falls on a Thursday — India’s standard monthly and weekly F&O expiry day — the expiry shifts to the preceding Wednesday. This is a non-negotiable, deadline-locked detail for options traders.

In 2026, two confirmed expiry shifts are notified in NSE Circular NSE/CMTR/71775:

Critical Warning: Short option positions – especially in weekly contracts — may expire a full day earlier than expected on these dates. Traders who are not watching broker alerts and their trading calendar carefully have faced surprise assignment or forced closure. Mark March 25 and May 27, 2026 in your calendar right now. NSE announces revised expiry dates via official circulars – your broker may not proactively notify you of the shift.

For the full F&O expiry calendar for 2026 including all weekly and monthly contract roll dates, check our dedicated expiry tracker.

Frequently Asked Questions – Indian Stock Market Holidays 2026

Is the stock market open on March 31, 2026?

No. Both NSE and BSE are fully closed on March 31, 2026, on account of Shri Mahavir Jayanti. This is a gazetted national holiday and a designated trading holiday per NSE Circular NSE/CMTR/71775 (December 12, 2025). Trading and settlement in equity, equity derivatives, and Securities Lending and Borrowing (SLB) segments are suspended for the entire day. The next regular trading day is Wednesday, April 1, 2026 — but note that April 1 is a settlement holiday due to annual bank closing. Full normal trading and settlement resumes on Thursday, April 2, 2026.

Pro Tip: If you were planning to book profits today, your earliest exit will be the April 1, 2026 trading session (9:15 AM onwards). However, settlement of those proceeds will only happen on April 2 since April 1 is a settlement holiday. Plan your cash flow accordingly before placing exit orders tomorrow.

Source: NSE Circular NSE/CMTR/71775, Tier-1, verified December 12, 2025; verified March 30, 2026. Check live status: NSE Market Timings and Holidays.

How many stock market holidays are there in 2026?

There are 15 weekday trading holidays in 2026, officially notified by NSE via Circular NSE/CMTR/71775 dated December 12, 2025. An additional 4 holidays fall on Saturdays or Sundays, meaning no extra trading days are lost on those dates. A special Muhurat Trading session is scheduled for November 8, 2026 (Diwali Laxmi Pujan, a Sunday) — the exact one-hour trading window will be announced by NSE via a separate circular closer to the date. Some third-party sources cite 16 holidays, adding a Maharashtra MC Election closure on January 15. This is not present in the official NSE circular and should be treated with caution until a separate exchange circular is issued.

Pro Tip: Several 2026 holidays create 3-day long weekends — Good Friday (April 3, Friday), Maharashtra Day (May 1, Friday), Gandhi Jayanti (October 2, Friday), and Christmas (December 25, Friday) are all Friday closures. Pre-holiday sessions on Thursdays often see thinning liquidity — factor this into your SIP execution and large-order planning. For more, see our guide on NSE Market Timings and Holidays.

Source: NSE Circular NSE/CMTR/71775, Tier-1, verified December 12, 2025.

Is April 1, 2026 a stock market holiday?

No – April 1, 2026 is not a trading holiday. You can buy and sell stocks normally on April 1. However, it is a settlement holiday on account of the annual bank closing (financial year-end). This means clearing and settlement activities — including the pay-in and payout of funds and securities — will not take place. Under India’s T+1 settlement cycle, a trade placed on March 30 would normally settle on March 31 (a holiday), pushing it to April 1. But April 1’s settlement holiday status pushes it further to April 2. This 3-day settlement gap is a high-stakes issue for investors relying on proceeds from Monday’s trades to fund fresh April purchases.

Critical Warning: F&O traders with expiring contracts and equity traders who sold on March 30 should not assume their funds are available before April 2. Keep sufficient margin in your account through the long weekend. Relying on intraday trade proceeds to fund fresh positions on April 1 without carrying a balance could trigger a margin shortfall and automatic square-off.

The 2026 Bottom Line – Indian Stock Market Holidays

Pravin Kumar

Business Editor – newshours18

Pravin Kumar covers business and financial markets news, with 6 years of experience tracking NSE and BSE policy, market timings, and investor alerts for Indian retail traders.