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Amidst the preparations for Budget 2026, NSE has hinted at a big decision. If the budget is presented on 1 February 2026, the stock market may open despite it being a Sunday. The exchange says that the decision will be finalized only after the government announcement, currently all options are under review.
New Delhi. A historic change may be seen in the country’s stock markets next year. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has indicated that if the Union Budget is presented on February 1, 2026, the equity market may be opened despite it being a Sunday. However, the exchange has clarified that this is a proposal still under consideration and the final decision will be taken only when the government formally announces the budget date.
Waiting for government’s seal of approval on budget date
Although the tradition of presenting the budget on the first day of February has been going on for many years, the central government has not yet released the official date. There is every possibility of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presenting the budget on February 1 itself, because preparations for FY26-27 are going on according to this timeline. Economic survey will be released before the budget and Chief Economic Advisor V. Anand Nageswaran will hold a press briefing.
Why is economic survey important?
Economic Survey is the annual report card of the country’s economy. It is prepared by the team of Department of Economic Affairs and CEA. In this, the economic situation, trends and challenges of the entire year are analyzed. This document lays the foundation for the direction and priorities of budget making. Therefore, from Parliament to industry, everyone’s eyes are on this report.
Union budget decides the economic direction of the country
The Union Budget not only tells the income-expenditure plan of the government, but also determines the economic direction for the next year. It presents a detailed blueprint on development programmes, welfare schemes, tax policies and fiscal management. Because of this, huge fluctuations are seen in the markets on the budget day, and for this reason NSE is exploring the possibility of trading on Sunday also.
