NSE and BSE Closed Today for Maharashtra Civic Elections

January 15, 2026 – The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) have suspended all trading activities today, Thursday, January 15, 2026. This unscheduled holiday was announced earlier this week following the Maharashtra government’s declaration of a public holiday to facilitate the Municipal Corporation Elections, including the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.

Key Impact on Traders

The closure has significantly altered the typical trading week. Most notably, the weekly expiry for Sensex and Nifty Bank options, which usually occurs on Thursdays, was pre-poned to Wednesday, January 14.

Investors should note the following service status for today:

• Equity & Derivatives: Completely closed for the day.
• Commodity Markets (MCX/NSE): Closed for the morning session but will open for evening trading from 5:00 PM to 11:55 PM.
• Settlement: Today is also a settlement holiday. Any shares bought on Wednesday will reflect in Demat accounts by Friday, January 16.

Why the Market is Shut

Since both the NSE and BSE are headquartered in Mumbai, they traditionally follow the holiday calendar of the Maharashtra state government for major administrative events. The BMC elections are considered the “mini-assembly” elections of the state, requiring massive logistical and security deployments across the city. To ensure maximum voter turnout and smooth operations, the exchanges joined banks and public offices in observing the holiday.

Looking Ahead: Remaining 2026 Market Holidays

With the addition of today’s election holiday, the Indian stock market will observe a total of 16 scheduled trading holidays in 2026 (excluding weekends). Following today’s break, the next major market closure will be on January 26 for Republic Day.

Upcoming NSE Holiday Highlights for 2026: | Month | Date | Occasion | | :— | :— | :— | | January | Jan 26 | Republic Day | | March | Mar 03 | Holi | | March | Mar 26 | Shri Ram Navami | | April | Apr 03 | Good Friday | | May | May 01 | Maharashtra Day | | October | Oct 02 | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti | | November | Nov 08* | Diwali (Muhurat Trading) |

Investor Strategy

Market analysts suggest that such mid-week breaks often lead to increased volatility when the markets reopen. Traders are advised to monitor global cues closely tonight, as the Indian market will react to two days of international developments when it resumes normal operations on Friday, January 16, 2026, at 9:15 AM.