India’s major stock exchanges – the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) – will remain closed on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 on the occasion of Holi. Trading will resume on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
This has been confirmed by the official holiday calendars published by both the exchanges regarding calendar year 2026.
Official Holiday Notification by NSE and BSE
The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) have already announced a list of trading holidays on which Holi will be a trading holiday on March 3, 2026.
As per the 2026 exchange calendar, Holi will be observed as a trading holiday on March 3. On this date, all major trading segments will remain closed, including:
- Equity segment
- Equity derivatives segment
- Currency derivatives segment
- Securities Lending and Borrowing (SLB) segment
How Stock Exchange Holidays Are Determined
In India, the stock exchange holidays are calculated every year and announced prior to the holiday by the respective stock exchanges like NSE and BSE. The exchange holiday calendar is prepared in alignment with national holidays, religious observances, and regulatory requirements.
The exchanges function under the regulatory oversight of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). SEBI maintains a well-managed market behavior, regulations, and uniformity of rules across the trading platforms.
The exchanges have published a comprehensive list of trading holidays for 2026 which includes national holidays, religious holidays, and other planned non-trading days. One of the officially planned market shutdowns of such a calendar is Holi.
Market Operations and Settlement Implications
A mid-week shutdown of the market has operational effects on the market participants, especially the settlement cycle.
Indian equity markets currently operate on a T+1 settlement cycle. A Tuesday, March 3, holiday will affect settlement schedules for trades executed around that date. Settlement timelines will be adjusted to account for the non-trading day.
Clearing corporations and depositories will work in sync with exchange holidays, implying that there will be no clearing or settlement processing on March 3.
Impact on Traders and Investors
The Holi holiday will halt the trade activity in one complete session of all the main segments.
Intraday Traders:
Intraday traders will need to plan positions accordingly, as no trading will occur on March 3.
Derivatives Traders:
The futures and options contracts will not be traded on the holiday. Monthly and weekly expiry schedules are not changed without prior notice. During the non-trading period, the traders are supposed to consider the time decay and the volatility adjustments.
Institutional Investors:
Both domestic and foreign institutional investors need to include the closure in the liquidity planning and fund flow management. Order execution strategies may require adjustment in the sessions preceding or following the holiday.
Retail Investors:
Structural impact is unlikely to take place on long-term investors, but liquidity and order timing issues are likely on a short-term basis.
Broader Calendar Planning
In the case of corporate treasuries, asset managers, compliance teams, and brokerage finance, it is necessary to have an enhanced insight into the exchange holidays to ensure continuity in operations.
The annual exchange calendar is generally used to schedule back-office functions, margin requirements, collateral adjustments and settlement scheduling.
The official trading schedule of March 3, 2026, is one of the formally announced 2026 trading schedules and does not amount to an unscheduled and extraordinary shutdown of the market.
Conclusion
The NSE and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) will be closed on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Markets will reopen on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, during regular trading hours.
The holiday will be observed in all the major segments such as the Equity and Derivatives according to the officially published exchange calendar.
Market participants should align trading and settlement plans accordingly.
