Indian Business Hours, Working Days and Holidays

Standard Business Hours in India

Typical Indian business hours run from 09:30 or 10:00 to 18:00 or 18:30 IST, Monday to Friday, with a lunch break of about an hour around 13:00. Central government establishments generally open at 09:00 or 09:30 and close by 17:30 or 18:00. Those figures describe the white-collar norm in the major metros.

In practice, the working day often stretches longer than the stated one. Senior staff commonly arrive later and leave later. Meetings scheduled for 18:00 are routine. The line between working hours and personal time is thinner than in many Western countries, and replying to email at 22:00 is unremarkable.

Office Hours by Sector: IT, Public Sector, Manufacturing, Banking, Stock Market

IT and BPO Sector

The IT sector runs the longest days. Core hours typically sit between 09:00 and 18:00, but many teams work shifts that overlap with the United States or the United Kingdom. A common pattern: the Indian team works 09:00-18:00, overlaps with Europe in the morning, then hands off to the US East Coast in the evening. Night shifts running 17:30-02:30 or 20:00-05:00 IST are standard for US-facing support teams.

Public Sector Establishments

Central government establishments open 09:00 and close 17:30, Monday to Friday. Some close for lunch between 13:00 and 13:30. State government establishments keep similar hours, though a few open 09:30 and close 18:00. Public-facing counters often stop accepting visitors by 17:00, even if the building formally closes later.

Manufacturing

Factories typically run 09:00-17:30, often six days a week. Shift work is common, especially in continuous-process industries like steel, cement and chemicals. The six-day week remains standard across most of the manufacturing sector.

Banking

Bank branches serve customers from 10:00 to 16:00 IST on weekdays. Some branches open Saturday 10:00-13:00, but only on the first and third Saturdays. The second and fourth Saturdays are bank closures, as are all Sundays and public holidays.

Stock Market

Equity trading on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) runs 09:15 to 15:30 IST, Monday to Friday. The pre-open session runs 09:00-09:15. Commodity and currency derivatives trade 09:00-17:00, with some commodity contracts trading later depending on international markets.

Banking Hours and the Second/Fourth Saturday Rule

Indian banks close every Sunday and on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. The first and third Saturdays are ordinary working days. This alternating pattern catches out foreign counterparts who assume a fixed weekend, and it is worth checking against the specific month before promising a payment date.

The second and fourth Saturday rule has applied since 2015, when the Reserve Bank of India moved banks to a two-day weekend on alternate weeks. A branch in a commercial area may keep different hours from one in a residential neighbourhood, so confirm locally.

The Indian Work Week: Monday to Friday?

India is split on the length of the working week. Central government establishments, most large corporates, IT services and business process outsourcing work five days, Monday to Friday. Retail, manufacturing, logistics, construction and a great many smaller firms work six, with Sunday as the common day of rest.

The practical rule when dealing with an unfamiliar Indian organisation: ask about its working hours rather than assuming them. A single company may run a five-day week at its head office and a six-day week at a plant a hundred kilometres away. Both are entirely normal.

Is Saturday a Working Day in India?

Saturday is not automatically a weekend day in India. It depends on the sector and the state.

• Banks: Closed on the second and fourth Saturdays; open the first and third.
• Public sector establishments: Closed.
• IT/BPO: Generally closed, though many operate on a rotating shift basis.
• Manufacturing and retail: Usually open, often for a half day.
• Schools: Many private schools in southern states work the first and third Saturdays.

If you are scheduling a meeting with an Indian counterpart, never assume a Saturday is free. Ask.

Is Sunday Always a Day Off in India?

Sunday is the one day that nearly everything closes. Banks, public sector establishments, most private workplaces, schools and many shops shut their doors. Public transport runs on a reduced schedule. It is the closest thing India has to a universal day of rest.

There are exceptions. Malls, cinemas, restaurants and some retail outlets open on Sunday, particularly in large cities. But for the purposes of business, treat Sunday as a non-working day unless you have a specific reason to believe otherwise.

Friday and the Muslim Work Week

Friday is significant for Muslim communities across India. The Jumu'ah prayer is held in the early afternoon, and in areas with large Muslim populations (Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bhopal, parts of Kerala and West Bengal) many businesses close for an extended lunch break or shut entirely on Friday afternoon.

Some workplaces in these regions close early on Friday. Others extend the lunch break from 13:00 to 15:00 to accommodate prayer. If you are scheduling a Friday meeting with a counterpart in a Muslim-majority area, confirm the timing in advance.

When Does India Take Its Lunch Break?

The standard Indian office lunch break runs roughly 13:00 to 14:00, though it varies by sector. Public sector establishments often close for lunch between 13:00 and 13:30. IT companies typically stagger lunch breaks across 12:30 to 14:30 to keep the floor covered. Manufacturing plants often run shifts that allow the line to keep moving through lunch.

The lunch break is a genuine pause in the working day, not a working lunch. Most Indian workplaces expect staff to stop work and eat. If you are scheduling a call with India, avoid 13:00-14:00 IST unless you have confirmed the other side is available.

National Public Holidays: The Three Fixed Dates

India has only three holidays observed nationwide without exception:

These three dates are fixed and do not move. All public sector establishments, banks, schools and most private companies close. If a national holiday falls on a Sunday, there is no compensatory day off for the private sector.

Gazetted vs Restricted Holidays Explained

India distinguishes between two categories of public holiday:

Gazetted holidays are mandatory closures for public sector establishments. They are published in the official gazette each year. Banks, schools and most private companies observe them. Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti are the only truly national gazetted holidays, but most states gazette an additional 10-15 dates.

Restricted holidays are optional. Employees may choose to take them, but the workplace does not have to close. Restricted holidays are typically religious festivals that are important in one region or community but not others. Examples include Mahavira Jayanti, Buddha Purnima and Guru Nanak's Birthday.

The distinction matters for planning: a gazetted holiday in Delhi may be a restricted holiday in Bengaluru, and vice versa.

State-Specific Holidays: Every State Is Different

India's holiday calendar is a patchwork. Each state declares its own list of gazetted and restricted holidays, and the lists differ substantially.

• Maharashtra: Includes Shivaji Jayanti (19 February) and Gudi Padwa (March/April).
• West Bengal: Observes Durga Puja for five days in October, when most of the state shuts down.
• Tamil Nadu: Includes Pongal (January) and a long summer break in April, May.
• Punjab: Observes Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti and Baisakhi (April).
• Kerala: Observes Onam (August, September) with a four-day break.

If you are scheduling work with a team in a specific state, check that state's official holiday list. The central government list is a starting point, not the full picture.

Movable Festivals: Diwali, Holi, Eid and More

Most Indian holidays follow the lunar calendar, so the dates move each year. The major ones to plan around:

Diwali (Deepavali)

The festival of lights, falling in October or November, is the single largest planning risk in the Indian year. In the north and west it can close workplaces for several consecutive days, and it is the biggest holiday period in the country. Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November; Diwali 2027 falls on Friday 29 October.

Holi

The spring festival of colour, falling in March, usually brings one or two days of closure. Holi 2026 falls on Wednesday 4 March; Holi 2027 falls on Monday 22 March.

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha

Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar and move roughly 10-11 days earlier each year. Eid al-Fitr 2026 falls on Saturday 21 March; Eid al-Adha falls on Wednesday 27 May 2026.

Dussehra

The ten-day festival ending with Vijayadashami, falling in September or October. Dussehra 2026 falls on Tuesday 20 October; Dussehra 2027 falls on Saturday 9 October.

Christmas

25 December is a gazetted holiday across India, regardless of religion. It is a national public holiday.

Festival Season and Wedding Season Impact on Work

Festival Season (October, November)

From Dussehra through Diwali and into the first weeks of November, Indian business slows dramatically. Many workplaces run on reduced staffing. Senior staff take leave. Deadlines slip to "after Diwali." The informal rule: do not schedule anything important in the two weeks around Diwali.

Wedding Season (November, February)

The wedding season runs roughly November through February, varying by region and community. During this period, leave demand spikes, particularly in northern India. Staff may take several days off for family weddings. Projects that require a full team on the ground should be scheduled around known wedding dates where possible.

If you are planning a project, a launch, or a delivery between October and February, confirm availability early and build in buffer.

Where to Find Official Indian Holiday Lists

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions publishes the central government's holiday list each year. Each state government publishes its own list, usually in November or December for the following year.

For banks, the Reserve Bank of India publishes a consolidated holiday calendar for all bank branches, including state-specific dates. For the stock market, the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange publish their trading calendars, which exclude weekends and listed holidays.

The table below shows the key Indian public holidays for 2026 and 2027:

Eid dates are estimates, as they depend on the sighting of the moon. The 2027 dates for Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Ashura are provisional.

Indian Business Hours in One Sentence

India runs on one time zone but many schedules, and the only safe approach is to confirm the working pattern of the specific organisation, sector and state you are dealing with.

For international calls or projects: schedule around the Indian lunch break (13:00-14:00), avoid Saturdays unless you have confirmed they are working, and never assume a week in October or November is safe from festival closures. The teams that succeed in India are the ones that ask, confirm and adapt.