Indian stock market investors are getting an enforced break from one of the most brutal months in recent memory. Both BSE and NSE will be closed for two trading sessions this week, leaving Dalal Street open for only three of the five working days between March 30 and April 3, 2026.
The two holidays fall at opposite ends of the week, creating a schedule that gives investors periodic pauses in what has been a relentless selling environment driven by the US-Iran war, rising crude oil prices, a weakening rupee, and sustained FII outflows.
This Week’s Market Holiday Schedule
The first closure of the week is tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, on account of Mahavir Jayanti 2026. Both BSE and NSE will be completely shut for equity, derivatives, and currency trading. The second closure falls on Friday, April 3, 2026, for Good Friday. The Good Friday holiday has additional significance because major global markets including the US stock market will also be closed on April 3, making it a synchronised global market holiday rather than an India-specific closure. The two closures create a week where Indian markets trade only on Monday March 30, Wednesday April 1, and Thursday April 2.
Commodity Market — Partial Opening on March 31
While equity markets are fully closed on March 31, the MCX commodity exchange will follow its standard public holiday protocol. The morning session of commodity derivatives trading will remain shut on Mahavir Jayanti. However trading in commodities will resume in the evening session from 5 PM to 11 PM. This is particularly relevant given the extraordinary volatility in MCX gold, silver, crude oil, and aluminium amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, and traders with commodity positions should plan accordingly.
Upcoming Stock Market Holidays — Complete List for 2026
After the Good Friday holiday on April 3, the next market closure is April 14 for Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti. From May onwards, markets will see nine further holidays through the end of the year.
The complete upcoming holiday schedule is as follows. March 31, Tuesday: Mahavir Jayanti. April 3, Friday: Good Friday. April 14, Tuesday: Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti. May 1, Friday: Maharashtra Day. May 28, Thursday: Bakri Id. June 26, Friday: Muharram. September 14, Monday: Ganesh Chaturthi. October 2, Friday: Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti. October 20, Tuesday: Dussehra. November 10, Tuesday: Diwali Balipratipada. November 24, Tuesday: Prakash Gurpurb Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. December 25, Friday: Christmas.
There are no market holidays in July and August, making those two months the longest uninterrupted trading stretches of the second half of 2026.
The Context — A Brutal March for Indian Markets
The two holidays this week arrive at a moment when Indian investors have been navigating the worst monthly market performance since 2020. The Nifty 50 has lost nearly 10 percent in March, driven by a combination of factors all linked to or amplified by the US-Iran war that began on February 28, 2026. Crude oil above $100 per barrel has stoked inflation fears and raised the possibility of central bank rate hikes. The rupee has weakened significantly against the dollar as FIIs have withdrawn over ₹86,000 crore from Indian equities in March alone. And the Strait of Hormuz closure has raised supply disruption fears across India’s energy-dependent economy.
The Nifty 50 is set to close lower for the fourth consecutive month when April begins, a streak that reflects the sustained and multi-dimensional nature of the headwinds Indian markets are navigating. For investors enduring four months of consecutive losses, the two holidays this week provide at least a brief pause from the daily mark-to-market pressure, even if they do not change the underlying market dynamics.
When markets reopen on Wednesday April 1 after the Mahavir Jayanti holiday, they will be processing whatever geopolitical and commodity market developments emerge between now and then, including any developments in the Iran diplomatic situation and crude oil price trajectory.
Stock market holiday information is sourced from BSE and NSE official holiday calendars for 2026.