Indian stock markets remain closed today, January 26, 2026, in observance of Republic Day. Both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and BSE have suspended trading across all segments, providing investors with a scheduled break from market activities.

Trading Suspension Details

The market closure affects all trading segments comprehensively. Both exchanges have halted operations across equities, equity derivatives, currency derivatives, and interest rate derivatives. Additionally, commodity trading remains suspended for the day, with the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) observing a complete closure for both morning and evening sessions.

Market Holiday Schedule 2026

Today's closure represents the second stock market holiday of 2026, following the January 15 holiday observed for the Municipal Corporation Election in Maharashtra. Trading operations will resume their regular schedule tomorrow, Tuesday, January 27.

Stock exchanges are scheduled to remain closed for 16 days total in 2026, encompassing national holidays, religious festivals, and state-specific events. The upcoming non-trading days include several significant occasions throughout the year.

Upcoming Market Closures

The remaining market holidays for 2026 include multiple religious and national observances:

Notably, Independence Day, which falls on August 15 this year, will not result in a trading holiday as it coincides with a Saturday. This scheduling allows markets to maintain their regular operations without additional closure.

Planning Considerations

Investors are advised to plan their trades and settlements around these scheduled holidays to ensure proper execution and avoid any operational disruptions. The comprehensive holiday schedule provides market participants with advance notice for strategic planning throughout 2026.

Indian stock markets are grappling with heightened volatility as geopolitical tensions create uncertainty for investors, despite the underlying economy showing resilience with domestic demand remaining robust and GDP growth projections of 7.0% for both FY26 and FY27.

Market Volatility Drivers

The Indian markets began the new year by touching record highs, but gains proved short-lived following disruptions in Venezuela that triggered oil price volatility. While the overall impact on global oil markets has remained limited due to ample global supply and subdued demand outlook, the uncertainty continues to affect market sentiment.

A significant development came when Trump signed legislation imposing tariffs up to 500% on nations importing oil from Russia. This policy particularly impacts India, where Russian oil represented the largest source of imports in 2025, though this dependency has since reduced while maintaining the third position among oil suppliers.

Geopolitical Tensions Escalate

Market concerns intensified when Trump announced intentions regarding Greenland, prompting strong opposition from the EU. In response, Trump proclaimed new tariffs on the EU of up to 10%. However, market sentiment improved following Trump's more measured address at Davos and subsequent withdrawal of these tariff threats.

Market Response and Investor Sentiment

The geopolitical uncertainty has contributed to rising global bond yields and increased volatility indices, with both the global volatility index and India VIX showing upward trends. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) have maintained their selling strategy on Indian markets, citing concerns over earnings growth relative to high valuations and delays in US-India trade agreements.

Domestic and international investors have been closely monitoring potential US-India trade deal developments, though progress appears extended given the US's focus on Russian oil policies and increased access to India's agriculture and dairy markets.

Trading Strategy Recommendations

Market experts advise investors to maintain a measured short-term outlook and avoid panic-driven selling during this volatile phase. The rationale includes:

• Ongoing constructive discussions between the US and India
• Progress on the EU-India FTA as a positive development
• Expectations of improved earnings following weak Q3 results from IT and banking sectors
• Consumer-led demand expected to drive better performance in upcoming quarters

Despite the challenging geopolitical environment, the fundamental strength of the Indian economy, supported by healthy domestic demand and strong growth projections, provides a foundation for long-term optimism while navigating near-term market volatility.