Count business days between dates. Excludes weekends and public holidays for India, US, UK, and UAE.
Working days — also called business days — are the days of the week when businesses officially operate: typically Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays. The concept is fundamental to professional life: project deadlines, payment timelines, legal notice periods, shipping estimates, and contract terms are almost always specified in business days rather than calendar days.
The difference between calendar days and working days can be significant. A "10-day deadline" could mean 10 calendar days (including weekends and holidays) or 10 business days — a difference of 4+ days. Misunderstanding which is meant can cause missed deadlines, late payments, and contract disputes.
Many Indian companies — particularly in manufacturing, retail, banking, and government — operate Monday through Saturday, with only Sunday as a weekly holiday. For these organisations, standard Monday–Friday calculations undercount working days by approximately 20%. Our calculator supports full customisation: toggle Saturday and Sunday as working or non-working days independently.
| Holiday | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1 | Restricted |
| Republic Day | January 26 | National |
| Holi | March (varies) | Restricted |
| Good Friday | April (varies) | Restricted |
| Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti | April 14 | National |
| Labour Day | May 1 | Restricted |
| Independence Day | August 15 | National |
| Gandhi Jayanti | October 2 | National |
| Dussehra | October (varies) | Restricted |
| Diwali | October/November (varies) | Restricted |
| Guru Nanak Jayanti | November (varies) | Restricted |
| Christmas | December 25 | Restricted |
India has 3 national holidays (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti) on which all central government offices are mandatorily closed. State-specific holidays vary considerably — Maharashtra observes Gudi Padwa, Tamil Nadu observes Pongal, and West Bengal observes Durga Puja as state holidays. The calculator includes the most widely observed gazetted holidays.
A payment due "30 business days from invoice date" in India could fall on a public holiday, in which case the payment is typically due on the next business day. For a ₹1 crore transaction, a single-day error in deadline calculation could trigger late payment penalties. Using accurate holiday data eliminates this risk.
Project managers routinely convert task durations from business days to calendar dates. A task estimated at 10 business days starting Monday doesn't end on the following Thursday — it ends on the second Friday, accounting for the intervening weekend. Working days calculators make this conversion instant and error-free.
Leave calculations, notice periods, and salary computations often depend on business day counts. A "30-day notice period" in Indian employment contracts almost always means 30 calendar days, but "5 working days to process your relieving letter" means business days. HR professionals use working day calculators constantly for accurate documentation.
Indian legal and regulatory frameworks frequently specify time limits in business days. SEBI regulations require trade settlement in T+1 or T+2 business days. GST return filing deadlines are expressed in calendar days. Court response periods are often 30 days but exclude public holidays in many jurisdictions. Legal professionals need precise business day calculations to avoid missing mandatory deadlines.
Courier and logistics companies quote delivery times in business days. "3 business day delivery" ordered on a Friday means delivery the following Wednesday, not Monday — Friday counts as day 1, Monday day 2, Tuesday day 3. If a public holiday falls on Monday, delivery shifts to Thursday. Understanding this prevents frustrated customers and supplier disputes.
Cheque clearance takes 2 business days (T+2). NEFT and RTGS transfers that are initiated after cutoff times are processed the next business day. Fixed deposit maturity dates that fall on holidays mature on the next business day. Working days calculations are fundamental to banking operations.
| Scenario | Start Date | Business Days | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice payment due | Monday Jan 6 | 30 business days | ~Monday Feb 17 (excluding holidays) |
| Notice period ends | Friday Jan 3 | 45 business days | ~Friday Mar 7 |
| Project delivery | Monday Jan 13 | 10 business days | Monday Jan 27 |
| Legal response deadline | Wednesday Jan 1 | 15 business days | Wednesday Jan 22 |
Banks in India follow RBI-mandated holidays, which include national holidays plus state-specific bank holidays. These differ from general public holidays — for example, banks in Maharashtra are closed on Bank Holiday (October 2 in even years for Maharashtra Day) while banks in Karnataka may not be. For banking-specific calculations, verify with your bank's holiday list.
Central government offices operate Monday through Friday, 9am–5:30pm, with second and fourth Saturdays as optional holidays in some departments. State government offices have varying schedules. Many government processes specify "working days" meaning days when the relevant office is open — which may differ from the standard Monday–Friday definition.
BSE and NSE follow a separate holiday calendar that sometimes differs from general public holidays. The exchanges publish their holiday list annually. For equity settlement (T+1) and derivative expiry calculations, use the exchange-specific calendar, not the general public holiday list.