Indian Stock Market Takes a Break for Mumbai Elections
The Indian stock market will not open for trading today, January 15, 2026. This closure comes as a direct result of municipal corporation elections taking place across Mumbai. The Maharashtra government has officially declared a public holiday to facilitate these local body elections, which cover several municipal jurisdictions including the city of Mumbai.
Major Exchanges Announce Trading Holiday
Both the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) have confirmed the trading holiday for Thursday. These two major Indian stock exchanges operate from Mumbai, making them directly affected by the election-related public holiday. Investors should take note that all equity and equity derivatives segments will remain closed throughout the day.
Trading activities will resume normally on Friday, January 16. This particular holiday was not originally included in the official stock market holiday calendar for 2026. The exchanges added it earlier this week through formal circulars issued to market participants.
Currency and Commodity Markets Also Affected
The currency markets will join the stock markets in remaining closed for the day. However, the commodity derivatives segment presents a different scenario. The Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX), which serves as the country's largest commodity derivatives bourse, has announced a partial trading holiday.
MCX will close its morning trading session completely, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The exchange will then reopen for evening trading from 5:00 PM to 11:55 PM. This schedule applies to most commodities, though selected agricultural commodities will trade only until 9:00 PM during the evening session.
MCX made this announcement through a circular released on Monday, citing the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Election as the reason for the modified trading schedule. Trading in popular commodities like gold and silver futures will resume during the evening session.
Looking Ahead at 2026 Market Holidays
Today's closure marks one of several scheduled trading holidays for the Indian stock markets in 2026. According to the official holiday calendar, investors can expect a total of 16 trading holidays throughout the year.
The next market holiday arrives on January 26 for Republic Day celebrations. The calendar shows three trading holidays in March, followed by two each in April and May. June and September will each have one stock market holiday, while October and November will see two holidays each. December rounds out the year with one scheduled market closure.
Additionally, four stock market holidays coincide with weekends in 2026. These weekend holidays do not affect trading schedules since markets typically remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays anyway.
Market participants should keep these dates in mind when planning their investment activities for the coming year. The exchanges typically announce any additional holidays well in advance through their official communication channels.
