Holiday List 2027 for Private Companies in India: Central List, Festivals and State Rules

Last Updated on November 6, 2026 by Abhijit Divekar

Central government holiday list 2027 (gazetted holidays)

These are the 17 holidays for central government offices in Delhi and New Delhi. Central offices in other states keep 14 of them for sure (the national holidays and the main festivals) and pick 3 more from a list of 12, such as Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam or Pongal, through a committee in each state capital.

Where is Ganpati? Ganesh Chaturthi is not one of the 17 Delhi holidays. It is a restricted holiday (4 September) and one of the 12 holidays that states can pick, so Maharashtra and several southern states usually give it. The same goes for the Navratri days. See the festival table below.

Festival holidays most private companies give in 2027

Most of these come from the government’s restricted holiday list. Pick the ones your team actually celebrates. The “Usually given in” column is a guide, not a rule; your state’s own list (further down) is the final word.

The order lists no separate date for the first day of Sharad Navratri (Ghatasthapana). We will add it if your state’s 2027 list includes it.

Eid and other Muslim holidays in 2027, explained

Many people think there is one Eid. There are two, about two months apart, and two more Muslim holidays are on the gazetted list.

Why the Eid date can move: these holidays follow the Islamic lunar calendar, and the final date depends on when the moon is sighted. The government order itself allows the date of Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Zuha, Muharram and Id-e-Milad to change at short notice. On your company list, write the date with a note “may shift by one day”, and confirm it with your team the evening before.

Restricted holidays 2027 (pick any two)

Central government staff can take any 2 of these 32 days. Many private companies copy the idea: a short fixed list plus 1 or 2 “floating” holidays each employee chooses. It keeps a mixed team happy without closing the office.

Holidays that fall on a weekend in 2027, and long weekends

Six of the 17 gazetted holidays land on a Saturday or Sunday in 2027: Independence Day and Milad-un-Nabi (both Sunday 15 August), Guru Nanak’s Birthday (Sunday 14 November), and Gandhi Jayanti, Dussehra and Christmas (all Saturdays).

The government gives no substitute day off for these. For a private company, the answer depends on your state law and your own policy: most state laws require the national holidays to be paid, but do not force you to give another day when one falls on a weekly off. Some employers give a floating day instead, which costs little and is good for morale. Whatever you decide, write it in your leave policy so nobody argues about it in August.

Long weekends in 2027 (with a Saturday and Sunday off):

• 26 to 28 March: Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday. Holi on Tuesday 23 March is close by, so expect leave requests that week.
• 17 to 19 April: Saturday, Sunday, Mahavir Jayanti on Monday.
• 15 to 17 May: Saturday, Sunday, Bakrid on Monday.
• 29 to 31 October: Diwali on Friday, then Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj on the weekend.

If your team works on Saturdays, plan for higher leave requests around these dates. The sandwich leave rule also matters here: decide in advance whether a weekend between two leave days counts as leave.

Paid holidays private companies must give, by state

The number depends on two things: your state, and whether you run a shop or office or a factory. Some states have one holidays law for everyone; others have one for shops and a separate one for factories. The three national holidays, 26 January, 15 August and 2 October, are paid holidays in every state below.

Small firm? Check the new thresholds. Gujarat (2026 amendment) and Uttar Pradesh (from 2 January 2026) now apply their Shops and Establishments laws only to establishments with 20 or more employees. Maharashtra tried the same through an ordinance in October 2025, but it was not made law, so Maharashtra still covers 10 or more workers. If you are below a state’s threshold, its festival-holiday count may not strictly bind you, but giving the national holidays plus a few festivals is standard practice and keeps you safe if you grow. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have no staff-size limit.

Telangana tip: an employee must have worked at least 30 days in the 90 days before the holiday to be paid for it, so a new joiner in their first month may not qualify.

State holiday lists 2027

States publish their own public holiday lists for government offices and banks. Private companies often use them to choose their festival holidays. We add each state here as soon as its list appears on the official website.

Tamil Nadu public holidays 2027

Note two Tamil Nadu dates that differ from the central list: Deepavali is on Thursday 28 October (central: Friday 29 October), and Muharram is on Tuesday 15 June (central: Wednesday 16 June). For a Chennai office, follow the state dates.

For the full state rules, see our guides for Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

How to make your company holiday list for 2027

1. Start with your state’s minimum. Check the table above for the number of paid holidays and the days your state law fixes (for example 1 May or a state formation day).
2. Add the festivals your team celebrates. A Pune office and a Chennai office of the same company can have different lists. That is normal and allowed; publish one list per location.
3. Decide on floating holidays. One or two “choose your own” days, picked from the restricted list, work well for mixed teams.
4. Mark the moon-dependent dates. Add “may shift by one day” next to both Eids, Muharram and Milad-un-Nabi.
5. Write the weekend rule. Say whether a holiday that falls on a weekly off gets a substitute day (most companies say no; some give a floating day).
6. Write the “worked on a holiday” rule. If someone works on a paid holiday, your state law sets what you owe (usually extra pay or a substitute day off). Put it in your leave policy.
7. Publish it before 1 January. Email it, put it on the notice board, and load it into your attendance or payroll system so leave and salary calculations match.

Frequently asked questions

How many paid holidays must a private company give in India?

It depends on the state: Karnataka 10, Tamil Nadu 9, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Telangana 8, Uttar Pradesh 8 for shops and 3 for factories, and Delhi 3 for shops and 7 for factories. Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti are paid holidays in every one of them.

Is the central government holiday list compulsory for private companies?

No. The DoPT list applies to central government offices. A private company follows its state’s Shops and Establishments Act or National and Festival Holidays Act, which sets how many paid holidays you must give.

How many holidays are there in 2027?

The central government list has 17 gazetted holidays and 32 restricted holidays for offices in Delhi. Six of the 17 fall on a Saturday or Sunday.

Is Ganesh Chaturthi a holiday in 2027?

Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Saturday 4 September 2027. It is a restricted holiday on the central list and one of the 12 holidays states can choose, so it is a full holiday in Maharashtra and several southern states.

When is Eid in 2027?

Id-ul-Fitr (Ramzan Eid) is on Wednesday 10 March 2027 and Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) on Monday 17 May 2027. Both depend on moon sighting and can shift by a day.

When is Diwali in 2027?

Diwali is on Friday 29 October 2027 on the central list. Tamil Nadu has notified Deepavali on Thursday 28 October, and some other states also give the holiday a day earlier, on Naraka Chaturdasi.

What happens if a holiday falls on a Sunday?

The central government gives no substitute day. For private companies, most state laws do not require a substitute day either, but you can choose to give one. Write your rule in the leave policy.

Do I have to pay extra if an employee works on a national holiday?

Usually yes. Maharashtra and Gujarat require double wages plus a day off in lieu. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana let the employee choose double wages or a paid substitute holiday. Check your state’s row in the table above.

Related guides

• Sandwich leave policy in India: is it legal?
• HR compliance checklist for startups 2027
• HR policies for a 10-person startup (2027)
• Leave and attendance management

A guide for employers, not legal advice. Central list checked against DoPT O.M. No. 12/2/2023-JCA dated 16 July 2026; state rules checked against each state’s Act. Last verified: 6 November 2026.