India is home to one of the world's most complex public holiday systems. With national gazetted holidays, optional restricted holidays, and state-level variations, managing a calendar for India-based employees requires more than a simple list.
This guide explains India's 2026 public holiday structure, highlights the key regional differences, and shows HR teams how to keep their calendars accurate without manual overhead.
Understanding India's Holiday System
India's public holidays fall into three categories:
National gazetted holidays — observed across all states and union territories. These are mandatory public holidays for central government employees and widely observed by private companies.
Restricted holidays — employees can choose a set number (typically two) from a longer list of optional holidays covering regional festivals, religious observances, and state-specific events.
State holidays — individual states declare additional public holidays for local festivals and political observances. These vary significantly by state.
For HR teams, this means a single all-India holiday calendar is not sufficient if you have employees in different states.
India National Gazetted Holidays 2026
- 26 January — Republic Day
- 14 April — Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti / Good Friday (same date in 2026)
- 1 May — Maharashtra Day / Workers' Day (varies by state)
- 15 August — Independence Day
- 2 October — Gandhi Jayanti
- 25 December — Christmas Day
Additionally, major festivals like Holi, Diwali, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha, Dussehra, and Guru Nanak Jayanti are observed as national holidays, with exact dates varying by year based on the lunar calendar.
Key Regional Variations to Know
Maharashtra (Mumbai, Pune)
Maharashtra observes 1 May as Maharashtra Day, celebrating the state's formation. Tech companies in Pune and financial firms in Mumbai widely observe this.
Tamil Nadu (Chennai)
Tamil Nadu observes Pongal (typically in January) as a major public holiday, along with Tamil New Year in April. Chennai-based offices may have different schedules than Delhi or Bangalore offices.
West Bengal (Kolkata)
Durga Puja is the most significant festival in West Bengal, typically spanning 4–5 days in October. Many Kolkata offices observe these as holidays even if not officially declared nationally.
Karnataka (Bangalore)
Karnataka observes Kannada Rajyotsava (1 November) as a state holiday. Bangalore's large tech workforce means this is widely observed across multinational companies.
Managing India Holiday Calendars for Distributed Teams
If your team includes employees across multiple Indian states, manually tracking each state's calendar becomes a real overhead. Common mistakes include:
- Scheduling all-hands calls during Durga Puja for Kolkata teams
- Missing state-specific holidays for regional offices
- Using a generic "India calendar" that omits state-level observances
The most reliable approach is to maintain separate calendar configurations for each state where you have employees, and import those into your team scheduling system.
Autolidays supports India's national holidays and helps you manage your team's holiday calendar automatically. View the full holiday calendar at /holidays/india.
Best Practices for HR Teams
Centralize holiday tracking. Use a shared calendar system that all managers can see. A Google Calendar with holiday blocking events is better than a spreadsheet.
Plan project timelines around Q4 holidays. October and November are particularly heavy with Indian holidays: Gandhi Jayanti, Dussehra, Diwali, and various state observances. Major deliverables planned for this period frequently slip.
Communicate early for restricted holidays. Since restricted holidays require employee selection, clarify the process in January so employees know which days they can take off and plan accordingly.
Sync with your HR system. The most effective approach connects your holiday calendar directly to your HRIS and scheduling tools so there is no manual reconciliation.
Automate India Holiday Syncing with Autolidays
Tracking India's holiday calendar manually takes time every year—especially when festival dates shift based on the lunar calendar. Autolidays automatically imports India's national public holidays into your Google Calendar as blocking events, so your availability reflects reality.
Set it up once, and your calendar stays accurate without annual maintenance.