Updated on: Feb 01, 2026 6:51:50 AM IST
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament on Sunday.
Budget 2026 stock market LIVE updates: India’s two benchmark equity indices, the Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), are in focus as finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament on Sunday. This is a record ninth consecutive time Sitharaman is presenting the budget.
Ahead of the finance minister’s budget speech, all eyes remained on how the markets would react to the government plans of spending, taxes and growth for the upcoming fiscal year.
Stock market to remain open today
Since the budget is being presented on Sunday, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) announced that equity markets will remain open for trading on Sunday, February 1, though usually weekends are off for both exchanges.
“On account of the presentation of the Union Budget, members are requested to note that Exchange shall be conducting a live trading session on February 01, 2026, as per the standard market timings (9:15 am-3:30 pm),” the NSE said in a circular.
How stock market reacted ahead of Budget 2026
Before the Union Budget 2026 presentation in Parliament, both Sensex and Nifty witnessed a drop in early trade on Friday after a three-day rally. While the 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 619.06 points to 81,947.31 in opening trade, the 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 171.35 points to 25,247.55.
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Ahead of the finance minister’s budget speech, all eyes remained on how the markets would react to the government plans of spending, taxes and growth for the upcoming fiscal year.
Stock market to remain open today
Since the budget is being presented on Sunday, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) announced that equity markets will remain open for trading on Sunday, February 1, though usually weekends are off for both exchanges.
“On account of the presentation of the Union Budget, members are requested to note that Exchange shall be conducting a live trading session on February 01, 2026, as per the standard market timings (9:15 am-3:30 pm),” the NSE said in a circular.
How stock market reacted ahead of Budget 2026
Before the Union Budget 2026 presentation in Parliament, both Sensex and Nifty witnessed a drop in early trade on Friday after a three-day rally. While the 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 619.06 points to 81,947.31 in opening trade, the 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 171.35 points to 25,247.55.
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Feb 01, 2026 6:51:49 AM IST
Budget 2026 stock market LIVE updates: What makes this year’s budget unique?
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2026 today. While the budget is traditionally presented on this date every year, February 1 this time falls on a Sunday, making the occasion a rare one. This will be the ninth consecutive budget to be presented by Sitharaman.
Feb 01, 2026 6:41:45 AM IST
Budget 2026 stock market LIVE updates: When and where to watch Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech
People can watch live coverage of the Union Budget 2026 on Hindustan Times.com website or the official YouTube channel.
People can also watch the government’s broadcast live through the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha feeds, available in multiple languages on the Sansad TV YouTube channel.
The state-owned Doordarshan (DD) channels will also broadcast the proceedings live on February 1.
In addition, the live feed will be accessible on the official budget website (indiabudget.gov.in), as well as through the finance ministry’s and Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) social media handles.
Feb 01, 2026 6:32:25 AM IST
Budget 2026 stock market LIVE updates: What is the ‘halwa’ ceremony before the Budget?
The final phase of preparation of the Union Budget is marked by the traditional ‘halwa ceremony’, which Nirmala Sitharaman participated in earlier in the week, signalling the completion of budget drafting for 2026-27. The ceremony was held in the basement of North Block on Raisina Hill, as the new ministry offices at Kartavya Bhawan-1 do not house a printing press. The halwa ceremony is a customary ritual in which a traditional Indian dessert is prepared and served to ministry officials and staff involved in the budget preparation.
While the Narendra Modi government has discontinued several colonial-era Budget traditions, such as presenting the budget at 5 pm and keeping the railways’ budget separate, the halwa ceremony has been retained.
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Feb 01, 2026 6:21:51 AM IST
Budget 2026 stock market LIVE updates: How is the budget officially prepared?
The preparation of India’s budget is a months-long, highly confidential exercise involving multiple ministries, senior bureaucrats, and ministers, culminating in the presentation of the Annual Financial Statement in Parliament. It includes consultations, inputs from ministries, series of meetings, an assessment before budget which is present as the Economic Survey, a traditional halwa ceremony, followed by the final drafting and finalising of budget documents during a mandatory ‘lock-in’ period.
Feb 01, 2026 6:12:07 AM IST
Budget 2026 stock market LIVE updates: What is the Union Budget
Union Budget is the most comprehensive report of the Indian government’s finances, in which revenues from all sources and outlays for all activities are consolidated, according to the ministry of finance. The budget also contains estimates of the government’s accounts for the next fiscal year.
Feb 01, 2026 6:01:44 AM IST
Budget 2026 stock market LIVE updates: When will Nirmala Sitharaman present Union Budget 2026
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present Union Budget 2026 in the Parliament today at around 11 am. This is the ninth consecutive time Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget.