What happened
India’s two main stock exchanges, NSE and BSE, will not open on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, because of Dussehra, also called Vijayadashami. Trading is scheduled to restart on Wednesday, 21 October, according to CNBC-TV18 and Mint.
Mint reported that equity and equity derivatives trading will be suspended, and currency market trading will also be closed. CNBC-TV18 said settlement and the securities lending and borrowing (SLB) segment, where investors lend or borrow shares for a fee, will also be shut.
What it means for you
You will not be able to trade in the regular equity market on 20 October. Normal hours of 9:15 am to 3:30 pm apply again from 21 October.
For commodities, the Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) will be closed in the morning session and is scheduled to reopen for the evening session, the reports said. The National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) will be closed for both sessions. Check each exchange’s calendar for exact timings.
Remaining holidays in 2026
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| 10 November | Diwali-Balipratipada |
| 24 November | Guru Nanak Jayanti (Prakash Gurpurb) |
| 25 December | Christmas |
Christmas falls on a Friday, so market participants get a long weekend, CNBC-TV18 noted.
Diwali Laxmi Pujan falls on Sunday, 8 November. The exchanges have scheduled a special Muhurat Trading session, a short ceremonial session held for Diwali, with timings to be announced separately. Check official exchange notices for confirmation.
Background
This is the second market holiday in October, after Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October. Economic Times reported that 12 of the 16 scheduled holidays for 2026 have already passed.
On Monday, the Sensex and Nifty recovered most of their early losses, Mint reported. The Sensex fell as much as 470.50 points to 74,318 early on, then traded 46.49 points lower at 74,682.78. The Nifty slipped 147.10 points to 22,999.05 before trading 14.55 points down at 23,131.60.
