India's Stock Exchanges to Trade on 2025 Budget Day Saturday

India's stock exchanges, NSE and BSE, will open for trading on Budget Day 2025, despite it being a Saturday. The financial markets will operate for equities from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has engaged in extensive pre-budget consultations, preparing for her eighth budget presentation.

In an unexpected move, India's major stock exchanges, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), announced they would remain open for trading on February 1, 2025, the upcoming Budget Day, even though it falls on a Saturday. This decision allows the equity markets to function from 9 am to 3:30 pm, with commodities trading commencing at 5 pm.

The financial spotlight is firmly on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is set to present the 2025-26 Budget on February 1. Her preparatory initiatives include numerous pre-budget discussions with stakeholders ranging from MSMEs and agricultural associations to renowned economists. Last Friday saw a crucial meeting involving representatives from States and Union Territories.

The comprehensive preparation rituals for the annual budget are in full swing. The Finance Ministry systematically conducts pre-budget consultations with sector experts, industry leaders, and state officials. The 2025-26 budget represents a key moment for Sitharaman as it will be her eighth budget presentation. Observers are keenly waiting for the central economic strategies and directives that will shape the Modi administration's economic policies going into the latter part of its current term. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)