With April bringing a flurry of holidays and the markets riding high on a sharp pullback rally, investors are juggling between celebration and speculation. With Good Friday falling today, April 18, many are left wondering: will the trading screens light up or go dark for the day? Here’s a quick look at whether the Indian stock markets will take a break today, April 18.
Here is the simple answer. Both the NSE and BSE will remain closed on Friday, April 18, in observance of Good Friday, as per the official list of trading holidays released by the exchanges.
What will be closed? Everything from Equity to Commodities
It is not just the equity market that will take a day off. Trading activity will be halted across multiple segments which include
- Equity Segment
- Equity Derivatives Segment
- SLB (Securities Lending and Borrowing) Segment
- Currency Derivatives Segment
- Commodity Derivatives Segment
- Electronic Gold Receipts (EGR)
- NDS-RST and Tri-party Repo
In short, no trading or settlement will take place in any market segment on April 18. Whether you are a retail investor, day trader, or commodity player, it is going to be a market holiday across the board.
Extended weekend for traders
This week is turning out to be a short one for stock market participants. The exchanges were already shut on Monday, April 14, for Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti. Now, with Good Friday on April 18, investors are looking at just three trading sessions between April 15 and 17.
If you are wondering about last week, the markets were closed on Thursday, April 10, on account of Mahavir Jayanti. That makes April 2025 one of the most holiday-packed months for Indian markets.
April 2025: A month full of market holidays
According to the official holiday list available on bseindia.com, April has seen three market holidays this year:
- April 10 (Thursday) – Mahavir Jayanti
- April 14 (Monday) – Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti
- April 18 (Friday) – Good Friday
What’s next on the holiday list?
After the Good Friday break, the next stock market holiday will be on May 1, 2025 (Wednesday), for Maharashtra Day. Post that, the markets will see a continuous stretch of working days as June and July have no holidays listed.
Here’s a quick look at upcoming key holidays:
- May 1 (Wednesday) – Maharashtra Day
- August 15 (Friday) – Independence Day
- August 27 (Wednesday) – Ganesh Chaturthi
- October 2 (Thursday) – Gandhi Jayanti / Dussehra
- October 21 (Tuesday) – Diwali Laxmi Pujan (Note: Muhurat Trading will happen; timings to be announced later)
- October 22 (Wednesday) – Diwali Balipratipada
- November 5 (Wednesday) – Prakash Gurpurb
- December 25 (Thursday) – Christmas
Commodity markets
The Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) will also observe the holiday and remain closed for both the morning and evening sessions on Good Friday. Traders in the commodities market too can expect an extended weekend break.
Where to check official stock market holidays?
To stay updated on market holidays, refer to the official BSE website (bseindia.com). On the homepage, there is a “Trading Holidays” section where you can view and download the full list for 2025.