India’s holiday calendar is not one list. Three national holidays are observed everywhere. Most other holidays are set by each state, and many festival dates move every year with the lunar calendar. If you work with a team in India, plan the year around their calendar as well as yours.
The 2027 national calendar
Every year, India’s Department of Personnel and Training publishes the holiday list for central government offices. For 2027, it lists 17 gazetted holidays for its offices in the national capital. It is the best single reference for which festivals fall when. Private employers follow their own state’s list, which overlaps heavily but is not identical.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 26 January | Tuesday | Republic Day |
| 10 March | Wednesday | Id-ul-Fitr |
| 23 March | Tuesday | Holi |
| 26 March | Friday | Good Friday |
| 15 April | Thursday | Ram Navami |
| 19 April | Monday | Mahavir Jayanti |
| 17 May | Monday | Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) |
| 20 May | Thursday | Buddha Purnima |
| 16 June | Wednesday | Muharram |
| 15 August | Sunday | Independence Day and Milad-un-Nabi |
| 25 August | Wednesday | Janmashtami |
| 2 October | Saturday | Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday |
| 9 October | Saturday | Dussehra |
| 29 October | Friday | Diwali |
| 14 November | Sunday | Guru Nanak’s Birthday |
| 25 December | Saturday | Christmas Day |
The three national holidays, Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti, are observed across the country. In 2027, several holidays fall on a weekend.
Why holidays differ by state
Beyond the national three, each state sets its own festival and regional holidays under its own rules. A team in one state may be working on a day another state observes. This is why the holiday calendar for your team comes from the office they work in, not from a national list.
In a satellite office, we share the office’s holiday calendar with you at the start of each year. Leave and attendance is one of our shared touchpoints: you approve leave, we keep the records.
The festival season
The period around Dussehra and Diwali, in October 2027, is the most important time of year for many families. Expect leave requests around it, and some people travelling home.
Three things help:
- Plan releases around it. Avoid a major launch in the last week of October.
- Ask for leave plans early. Agree cover in September, not the week before.
- Do not schedule the year’s big review or deadline into that window.
Leave beyond holidays
People in India take annual leave, sick leave and casual leave, under state rules and company policy. In practice, the rhythm is not very different from Europe. Holidays cluster around festivals instead of summer, and people often take a longer break to travel home.
A simple planning habit
At the start of each year, put three calendars side by side:
- Your country’s holidays
- Your team’s holidays in India
- Your release plan
Fix the clashes in January, not the week they happen.
See how the office works on /satellite-office, or talk to us.
Sources
- 2027 holiday list, DoPT O.M. F.No.12/2/2023-JCA dated 16 July 2026, Annexure I: StaffNews reproduction
- How offices outside the capital set their lists, and the restricted holiday rules: People Matters