India’s public holiday calendar for 2027 includes mandatory gazetted holidays, optional restricted holidays, and several state-specific observances. Under the Industrial Establishments (National and Festival) Holidays Act, 1974, all companies must observe three national holidays: Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August), and Gandhi Jayanti (2 October).
Holiday planning forms an integral part of annual business planning and helps companies manage workforce requirements. Firms should assess holiday schedules in advance to maintain uninterrupted operations.
Manage Leave Compliance
Align holiday calendars, leave entitlements, payroll calculations, and employee policies with applicable state requirements.Types of public holidays in India
India classifies its official public holidays into several categories, including gazetted holidays, restricted holidays, and observances specific to individual states and union territories.
Managing India’s diverse holiday calendar can be complex, particularly for foreign HR managers. Companies operating in India must therefore manage multiple categories of public holidays notified by central and state governments.
Advance planning helps businesses maintain operational continuity, meet statutory requirements, and process payroll on schedule.
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Holiday type |
Issuing authority |
Applicability |
Examples |
|
National holidays |
Central government (mandatory) |
All states, sectors, and establishments |
Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti |
|
Gazetted holidays |
Central government (annual notification) |
Central government offices and widely observed across India |
Holi, Eid, Diwali, Christmas |
|
State holidays |
Individual state governments |
Establishments within the respective state |
Onam (Keralam), Chhath Puja (Bihar), Baisakhi (Punjab) |
|
Restricted holidays |
Central government (optional list) |
Employees can select 1-2 holidays based on personal preferences |
Karva Chauth, Janmashtami, Raksha Bandhan |
Gazetted public holidays in India in 2027
The following list of 2027 holidays in India is based on the circular issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions.
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List of Public Holidays in India in 2027 |
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|
Month |
Gazette holiday |
Date and day |
|
January |
Republic Day |
26 (Tuesday) |
|
February |
– |
– |
|
March |
Id-ul-Fitr |
10 (Wednesday) |
|
Holi |
23 (Tuesday) |
|
|
Good Friday |
26 (Friday) |
|
|
April |
Rama Navami |
15 (Thursday) |
|
Mahavir Jayanti |
19 (Monday) |
|
|
May |
Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) |
17 (Monday) |
|
Budha Purnima |
20 (Thursday) |
|
|
June |
Muharram |
16 (Wednesday) |
|
August |
Independence Day |
15 (Sunday) |
|
Milad-un-Nabi or Id-e-Milad (Prophet Mohammad’s Birthday) |
||
|
Janmashtami |
25 (Wednesday) |
|
|
September |
– |
– |
|
October |
Gandhi Jayanti |
2 (Saturday) |
|
Dussehra (Vijaya Dashmi) |
9 (Saturday) |
|
|
Diwali |
29 (Friday) |
|
|
November |
Guru Nanak’s Birthday |
14 (Sunday) |
|
December |
Christmas Day |
25 (Saturday) |
Source: DoPT, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; GoI
Restricted public holidays in India 2027
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Non-Gazetted/Restricted Holidays in India in 2027 |
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|
Month |
Gazette holiday |
Date and day |
|
January |
New Year’s Day |
1 (Friday) |
|
Makar Sankranti / Magha Bihu |
14 (Thursday) |
|
|
Pongal, Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday |
15 (Friday) |
|
|
February |
Basant Panchami |
11 (Thursday) |
|
Shiva Ji Jayanti |
19 (Friday) |
|
|
Guru Ravi Das’s Birthday |
20 (Saturday) |
|
|
March |
Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s Birthday |
2 (Tuesday) |
|
Jamat-Ul-Vida |
5 (Friday) |
|
|
Maha Shivratri |
6 (Saturday) |
|
|
Holika Dahan, Dolyatra |
22 (Monday) |
|
|
Easter Sunday |
28 (Sunday) |
|
|
April |
haitra Sukladi /Gudi Padava/Ugadi/ Cheti Chand/ 1st Navratra |
7 (Wednesday) |
|
Vaisakhi Nishu/ Meshadi (Tamil New Year’s Day) |
14 (Wednesday) |
|
|
Vaisakhadi (Bengal) / Bahag Bihu (Assam) |
15 (Thursday) |
|
|
May |
Guru Rabindranath Tagore’s Birthday |
9 (Sunday) |
|
June |
– |
– |
|
July |
Rath Yatra |
5 (Monday) |
|
August |
Parsi New Year’s Day/Navroz |
15 (Sunday) |
|
|
Raksha Bandhan |
17 (Tuesday) |
|
September |
Ganesh Chaturthi Ninayak Chaturthi |
4 (Saturday) |
|
Onam |
12 (Sunday) |
|
|
October |
Dusshera (Saptami) |
6 (Wednesday) |
|
Dussehra (Mahashtami) |
7 (Thursday) |
|
|
Dussehra (Mahanavmi) |
8 (Friday) |
|
|
Maharishi Valmiki’s Birthday |
15 (Friday) |
|
|
Karaka Chaturthi (Karwa Chouth) |
18 (Monday) |
|
|
Naraka Chaturdasi |
28 (Thursday) |
|
|
Govardhan Pooja |
30 (Saturday) |
|
|
Bhai Duj |
31 (Sunday) |
|
|
November |
Pratihar Shashthi or Surya Shashthi (Chhath Puja) |
4 (Thursday) |
|
Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day |
24 (Wednesday) |
|
|
December |
Hazarat Ali’s Birthday |
12 (Sunday) |
|
Christmas Eve |
24 (Friday) |
|
Region-specific or additional holidays in India
Several Indian states and union territories commemorate their formation or reorganisation on 1 November.
These include Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Keralam (previously known as Kerala), Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Tamil Nadu, along with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Delhi, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
While state governments organise official celebrations to mark the occasion, the declaration of a public holiday varies by jurisdiction and annual holiday notifications.
State-wise paid holiday requirements for private companies in India
Private-sector employers in India must provide paid holidays in accordance with the applicable state laws. The statutory entitlement varies depending on the state and the type of establishment, such as a shop, commercial office, or factory. While some states prescribe a common holiday framework across establishments, others maintain separate requirements for shops and factories.
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State-Specific Designated Holidays |
|||
|
State |
Minimum paid holidays per year |
Holidays prescribed by law |
Establishments covered |
|
Karnataka |
10 |
26 January, 1 May, 15 August, 2 October, and 1 November (Kannada Rajyotsava) |
Shops, commercial establishments, factories, and plantations, irrespective of workforce size. |
|
Tamil Nadu |
9 |
26 January, 1 May, 15 August, and 2 October. |
Shops, commercial establishments, and factories, irrespective of workforce size. |
|
Maharashtra |
8 |
26 January, 1 May, 15 August, and 2 October. |
Shops and commercial establishments employing 10 or more workers. Factories fall outside this particular festival-holiday framework. |
|
Gujarat |
8 |
26 January, 15 August, and 2 October. |
Shops and commercial establishments employing 20 or more workers following the 2025–26 amendment. |
|
Telangana |
8 |
26 January, 1 May, 15 August, and 2 October. |
Shops, commercial establishments, and factories, irrespective of workforce size. |
|
Uttar Pradesh |
8 for shops; 3 for factories. |
Shops: Republic Day, Holi (Parewa), Ambedkar Jayanti, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, the day after Diwali (Parewa), Kartik Purnima, and Id-ul-Fitr. Factories: Three national holidays. |
Shops and commercial establishments employing 20 or more workers from 2 January 2026. Factories are covered separately. |
|
Delhi |
3 for shops; 7 for factories. |
26 January, 15 August, and 2 October. |
Shops, commercial establishments, and factories. |
How workforce thresholds affect public holiday obligations
Several Indian states have made amendments to their Shops and Establishments Act, increasing minimum employee thresholds for certain establishments. Employers should account for these changes when determining their statutory holiday obligations.
- Gujarat: The 2026 amendment raises the workforce threshold to 20 employees for the application of the relevant Shops and Establishments provisions.
- Uttar Pradesh: The revised threshold of 20 employees applies from 2 January 2026.
- Maharashtra: The Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Act, 2025, replaced the October 2025 Ordinance and increased the applicability threshold from 10 to 20 workers.
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana: The relevant holiday requirements apply irrespective of the establishment’s workforce size.
Manage Workplace Compliance
Align your HR policies, shift schedules, overtime calculations, and payroll systems, as per India's state-specific S&E Acts.Why holiday planning matters for companies in India
Planning employee holidays effectively is an important business priority in India, given its cultural diversity and variations in state-level holiday observances. Companies that align their operational schedules with national and regional holiday calendars can:
- Maintain business continuity and minimise operational disruptions
- Allocate resources more efficiently for project execution and sales planning
- Enhance employee engagement and retention
- Minimise compliance risks under applicable employment and labour laws
For multinational companies and foreign employers, effective holiday planning carries particular importance. Employees often prioritise participating in cultural and religious festivals. By offering flexibility through restricted holiday lists and state-specific holiday schedules, employers can develop more inclusive HR policies and strengthen their employer brand.
Industries such as manufacturing, logistics, retail, customer support, and IT services often experience seasonal variations in business activity during major festivals. Businesses should therefore coordinate employee holiday schedules with client requirements and supply chain operations.
Related resource: India’s Public Holidays in 2026 – Complete Reference Guide
