Dalal Street opens for its symbolic Diwali session on Sunday with the Nifty above 25,000 after a seven-day winning run. Here’s what you need to know for the hour itself, and a simple plan for the year that follows.
This year’s Muhurat trading session arrives in unusual circumstances. A fortnight ago, the market was nursing heavy losses from a year of war, expensive oil and relentless foreign selling. On Friday, the Nifty closed at 25,030.35, its first close above 25,000 since the Iran war began in late February, capping a seven-session rally of about 10%.
So Samvat 2083 begins with the market in a rare festive mood. Here is how to approach it.
The essentials
- Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026 (Diwali, Lakshmi Puja)
- New year: Samvat 2083 begins
- Block deal window: 1:50 PM to 2:05 PM
- Pre-open session: 2:05 PM to 2:20 PM
- Normal trading: from 2:20 PM to 3.4o PM
- Monday, 9 November: regular trading day
- Tuesday, 10 November: market holiday (Diwali Balipratipada)
Trades placed during Muhurat trading are real trades and settle like any other. Buy only what you actually intend to own.
What Samvat 2082 taught us
The year now ending was among the toughest Indian investors have faced in some time, and it left three lessons.
Domestic money kept the market standing. Foreign investors sold Indian shares at a record pace for most of the year. Domestic mutual funds and insurers kept buying, lifting their ownership of Indian companies to a record 17%. Without the steady flow of SIP money, the fall would have been far deeper.
Oil decided almost everything. The market’s worst stretches lined up closely with Brent crude above $100. Its best week, the one just ended, began when crude started falling after the US midterm elections raised hopes of an end to the Iran war.
Results beat narratives. Even in a weak market, companies that delivered strong earnings were rewarded, while those that only met expectations were often sold. This week alone, M&M, BSE and Titan rallied on their results, while LIC fell despite 20% profit growth because new-business growth disappointed.
The Samvat 2083 playbook
For retail investors. Treat the session as what it is: a tradition, not a signal. If you want to mark the day, make a small purchase of a fund or a company you already understand. Check that your SIPs are running. They did the heavy lifting last year, and they are designed for exactly the kind of volatility the market has shown.
For HNIs. Use the holiday break to rebalance. A 10% rally in seven sessions can push equity allocations above target quickly. Look closely at international holdings too: the Nasdaq slipped into correction territory this week, so portfolios concentrated in US technology funds deserve a second look. And keep cash in reserve. A year in which oil swung between roughly $70 and $120 offered plenty of buying opportunities, and the conflict that drove those swings has not been resolved.
For traders. Volumes during the session are thin, so prices can jump on small orders. Avoid large positions and complex derivatives during the hour. After a sharp rally, the session can also be a moment for profit-taking. A weak Muhurat close should not be over-interpreted, and neither should a strong one.
For everyone: the three numbers to watch in Samvat 2083
- Brent crude. Below $100 has supported the market. A failed US-Iran settlement would change that quickly.
- Foreign investor flows. Foreign funds have just bought Indian shares at their fastest pace in more than a year. Whether that continues will shape the market’s direction.
- The Fed. Strong US jobs data has raised the odds of a December rate increase, which would make US assets more attractive and could slow money coming into India.
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