Budget 2026-27 Circular Released: Pre-Budget Meetings Set to Begin From Oct. 9

The Finance Ministry has released a circular for Budget 2026-27, announcing that pre-budget meetings chaired by the Secretary (Expenditure) will commence on Oct. 9, 2025.

The circular said pre‐budget meetings shall commence from Oct. 9, and shall continue till around mid‐November, 2025. The budget estimates for 2026‐27 as well as revised estimates for 2025-26 will be provisionally finalised after completion of pre‐budget meeting.

Major issues like requirement of funds for all categories of expenditures along with receipts of Ministries and Departments; receipts of departmentally‐run commercial undertakings, which are netted against the gross expenditure will be discussed in the pre‐budget meetings.

Non‐tax revenues, including user charges and arrears of non‐tax revenue; and expenditure estimates on net basis i.e. gross expenditure net of recoveries and receipts, are the other two major issues to be discussed.

Each Ministry and Department should project the requirements in the Statement of Budget Estimates format and forward them to the Budget Division, as per required formats.