Budget 2026: Nirmala Sitharaman to Present Ninth Consecutive Union Budget on Sunday, February 1 at 11 AM Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed on January 12, 2026, that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the Union Budget 2026 at 11 AM on February 1—a Sunday—marking a rare weekend presentation.
Historic Milestone
This will be Sitharaman’s ninth straight Budget since 2019, placing her among India’s longest-serving finance ministers on this front. She edges closer to Morarji Desai’s record of 10 Budgets, surpassing P. Chidambaram’s nine and Pranab Mukherjee’s eight, amid her trailblazing role as the first full-time woman FM.
Sunday Presentation Precedent
February 1 has been the standard date since 2017, shifted from February 28 by Arun Jaitley for faster FY implementation. Weekend Budgets aren’t new—Sitharaman’s 2025 edition fell on a Saturday, echoing Jaitley’s 2015-16 Saturdays—though a Sunday is unprecedented recently.
Economic Backdrop
India’s FY 2025-26 real GDP growth is pegged at 7.4 percent as per First Advance Estimates released January 7, up from 6.5 percent last year despite global tariff tensions. This robust outlook shapes fiscal priorities like spending, taxes, and reforms in the 88th post-Independence Budget.
Session Timeline
The Budget Session kicks off January 28 with the President’s address, followed by the Economic Survey on January 29. Sitharaman’s speech on February 1 will outline FY 2026-27 priorities amid evolving domestic and global conditions.
