Ahead of the crucial address, Sitharaman was seen carrying her now-familiar ‘digital bahi-khata’—a tablet wrapped in a red cloth embossed with the national emblem—continuing a tradition she has followed since moving away from the colonial-era briefcase

In her first Budget in 2019, Sitharaman replaced the decades-old leather briefcase with a traditional red ‘bahi-khata’, symbolising a shift in presentation style. Continuing the practice of recent years, the Union Budget 2026–27 will be paperless, marking the fifth consecutive digital Budget