Good Friday: What’s Open and What’s Closed on the Long Weekend of March 29, 30, 31

On Good Friday 2024, Indian stock markets, bond markets, and commodity markets will be closed on March 29 as part of the observance of the holiday. Trading activities across different segments, like cash, derivatives, securities lending and borrowing (SLB), and commodity futures, will pause for the day.

Both the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) have announced that their trading platforms will be unavailable on March 29. Additionally, the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) and the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), which handle trading in various commodities, will be closed not only for the morning session but also for the evening sessions. Normal trading operations will resume on April 1 as the BSE and NSE will kick off the day with a 15-minute pre-opening session starting at 9:00 am, followed by regular trading.

Regarding banks, they will be closed in most states except for Tripura, Assam, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, and Srinagar. In all other states, banks will remain closed in observance of Good Friday.

Reserve Bank of India said, “Agency Banks are advised to keep all their branches dealing with government business open on March 31, 2024 (Sunday).” The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) said that all agency banks will be open for over the counter transactions related to government transactions on March 30 and March 31. The central bank said in a notification, “The Government of India has made a request to keep all branches of the banks dealing with Government receipts and payments open for transactions on March 31, 2024 (Sunday) so as to account for all the Government transactions relating to receipts and payments in the FY 2023-24 itself. Accordingly, Agency Banks are advised to keep all their branches dealing with government business open on March 31, 2024 (Sunday).”

Agency banks: As per RBI website, “RBI carries out the general banking business of the governments through its own offices and commercial banks, both public and private, appointed as its agents. Section 45 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, provides for appointment of scheduled commercial banks as agents at all places or at any place in India, for purposes that it may specify, having regard to public interest, convenience of banking, banking development and such other factors which in its opinion are relevant in this regard.”