Ahead of Union Budget 2026, Nirmala Sitharaman meets President Droupadi Murmu

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday shortly before presenting the Union Budget 2026Sitharaman continues lsquodigital bahikhatarsquo traditionAhead of the crucial address Sitharaman was seen carrying her nowfamiliar lsquodigital bahikhatarsquomdasha tablet wrapped in a red cloth embossed with the national emblemmdashcontinuing a tradition she has followed since moving away from the colonialera briefcaseWATCH Delhi Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with her team calls on President Droupadi Murmu before presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget pictwittercom96H5JV5obvmdash ANI ANI February 1 2026Ninth consecutive Budget places Sitharaman among longestserving FMsThe upcoming Budget will be Sitharamanrsquos ninth in a row placing her on par with former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and ahead of Pranab Mukherjee in terms of consecutive Budget presentations Former Prime Minister Morarji Desai continues to hold the alltime recordUnion Budget 2026 to be tabled in Lok Sabha at 11 amAs per the Lok Sabharsquos agenda proceedings will begin at 11 am Sitharaman will table estimates of the Union governmentrsquos receipts and expenditure for the 2026ndash27 financial year She will also place before the House two mandatory statements under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act 2003mdashcovering the mediumterm fiscal and policy strategy along with the macroeconomic frameworkIn addition the Finance Minister will seek permission to introduce the Finance Bill 2026 and formally present it in the Lok Sabha The Bill is essential to give statutory backing to the governmentrsquos taxation and spending proposals outlined in the BudgetEconomic Survey sets context for Budget amid global uncertaintiesEarlier this week Sitharaman had presented the Economic Survey of India for 2025ndash26 in Parliament in keeping with the convention of reviewing the economyrsquos performance ahead of the Budget The Survey prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs under the Chief Economic Adviser offers a detailed assessment of economic trends and policy challenges and is released in two volumesCommenting on the Survey Union Minister Piyush Goyal said the First Advance Estimates project real GDP growth of 74 per cent in 2025ndash26 underscoring Indiarsquos status as the worldrsquos fastestgrowing major economy for the fourth straight year He also pointed to easing inflationmdashestimated at 17 per cent during AprilndashDecember 2025mdashand highlighted the governmentrsquos push to strengthen domestic manufacturing and economic resilienceThe Budget Session of Parliament will run for 30 sittings spread over 65 days concluding on April 2 Both Houses will adjourn on February 13 and resume on March 9 allowing parliamentary committees to scrutinise the Demands for Grants of various ministriesThe Finance Minister will present her ninth straight Budget which is expected to unveil measures to sustain growth momentum maintain fiscal discipline and announce reforms that could buffer the economy from global trade frictions including US tariffsThe Union Budget 2026 comes against a complex backdrop While domestic demand has held up and inflation has moderated from recent highs global uncertainties including geopolitical tensions volatile commodity prices and uneven monetary easing by major central banks continue to cloud the outlook At home the government faces pressure to boost consumption accelerate job creation and step up capital spending while keeping the fiscal deficit on a downward path