Union Budget 2026 Date and Time: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her ninth consecutive Budget in Parliament on Sunday. The upcoming Budget is expected to include reform measures aimed at boosting economic growth amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
Nirmala Sitharaman is the longest-serving finance minister to hold the post continuously. She took charge of the Finance Ministry on May 31, 2019, and has steered the economy through the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical turmoil, making India the fastest-growing major economy in the world. Sitharaman completed six years and eight months in office on January 31, 2026.
Ahead of the Budget session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that Sitharaman presenting the Union Budget for the ninth consecutive time "will be recorded as a matter of pride in India's parliamentary history". Former prime minister Morarji Desai had presented the Union Budget on 10 occasions, while P Chidambaram presented the Budget nine times, but not for consecutive years.
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How To Watch Nirmala Sitharaman's Union Budget Speech Live?
The Union Budget 2026 speech can be watched live on Feb. 1 from 11:00 a.m on Sansad TV, DD News and the official website, indiabudget.gov.in. Live streaming will also be available on the YouTube channels of Sansad TV and Press Information Bureau (PIB). Major news channels will also broadcast the FM's speech. NDTV Profit will stream Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech live on its social media platforms and provide live coverage along with timely updates and expert analysis.
Key Numbers To Watch Out For In Union Budget 26:
Fiscal Deficit: The budgeted fiscal deficit, which is the difference between the government expenditure and income, for the current fiscal (April 2025 to March 2026 or FY26), is estimated at 4.4% of GDP.
Having achieved a fiscal consolidation roadmap with a deficit below 4.5% of GDP in FY26, markets will keenly watch for direction on debt-to-GDP reduction in the FY27 Budget, as well as whether the government will provide a specific fiscal deficit number for the next financial year. There is an expectation that the government could announce a fiscal deficit of 4% of the GDP for FY27.
Capital Expenditure: The government's planned capital expenditure for this fiscal year is budgeted at Rs 11.2 lakh crore. The government is likely to maintain its focus on capital expenditure in the upcoming Budget, with a 10-15% increase in the capex target from the current level, as private sector players remain cautious.
The government would have space for capex, and it should be in excess of Rs 12 lakh crore, as the pay revision will be announced in FY28, leaving little room for others.
Debt Roadmap: The finance minister, in her 2024-25 budget speech, had stated that from 2026-27 onwards, fiscal policy would endeavour to maintain the fiscal deficit in a way that the central government debt is on a declining path as a percentage of GDP.
Markets will closely look for the debt consolidation roadmap from FY27 onwards to see when the finance minister sees general government debt-to-GDP fall to the 60% target. The general government debt-to-GDP ratio was 85% in 2024, which included central government debt of 57%.
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(With PTI inputs)
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