The ministry of finance will kickstart its massive budgetary exercise from October 15.
With the Union Budget 2026, India's 74th, fast approaching, all eyes are once again on New Delhi's North Block as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is preparing to table it on February 1, 2026, marking her ninth Budget presentation in a row.
Ten days after both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die, the Monsoon session is yet to end formally, giving rise to speculation that the government wants to pass a key legislation without convening a new session.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget, focusing on investments and growth. The speech was marked by its business-like approach and lack of cultural references, while opposition members raised concerns about regional representation.
Officials said the government is keen to conform to the convention of the Union Budget for 2026-2027 being presented on February 1 despite it falling on a Sunday in 2026.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on Tuesday as the Monsoon Session of Parliament gets underway next week with the united opposition set to corner the National Democratic Alliance government on issues ranging from the NEET paper leak case and railway safety.
Sitharaman continues with the tradition she set in 2019, carrying the budget speech in a 'bahi-khata', which she used after dropping the briefcase tradition.
The Budget emphasises on capacity building and empowerment of marginalised sections of society including farmers.
The government on Sunday gave a strong push to upgradation and expansion of healthcare infrastructure, medical education and pharma sector with the Union Budget 2026-27 announcing a slew of steps, including those aimed at making India a global hub for allied healthcare professionals and biopharma manufacturing.
Around 24 paise will come from borrowings and other liabilities, 10 paise from non-tax revenue like disinvestment, and 2 paise from non-debt capital receipts, the Budget documents showed.
Chhattisgarh is rapidly emerging as a significant sports destination in India, driven by state government initiatives to host major events and develop infrastructure. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai highlighted the state's commitment to sports, exemplified by the DP World PGTI Nava Raipur Open 2026 golf championship, inaugurated with cricket legend Kapil Dev. These efforts aim to foster talent, promote sports tourism, and transform the state's image, including positive changes in regions like Bastar.
'It is not because of the war in West Asia, which began on February 28.' 'Petroleum product prices are already going through the roof. They are bound to have a serious inflationary impact.' 'A country's leadership is tested in trying times. It is here that the current leadership is failing.'
This year's Economic Survey and the Union Budget were more closely followed for more reasons than one.
As finance minister Pranab Mukherjee gets ready to present the much anticipated budget for financial year (FY) 2010-11 on February 26, we tell you what you ought to know about the Union budget.
The conflict may disrupt Budget 2026-2027 projections, squeezing revenues and raising subsidies, prompting fiscal adjustments and potential reforms, echoing lessons from the Covid-era shock, points out A K Bhattacharya.
What items did Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman make cheaper?
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that Pakistan will participate in the Men's Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in India, scheduled from October 27 to November 5. This participation aligns with the Indian government's policy allowing multi-lateral sporting engagements with Pakistan, despite a ban on bilateral series. The tournament will be held in Jalandhar and Mohali, featuring six nations including India and Pakistan, with a highly anticipated India-Pakistan match on November 1.
A PL Capital report projects India's LPG subsidy bill to exceed Rs 1 lakh crore in FY27, creating a significant Rs 70,000 crore gap over the Union Budget's Rs 30,000 crore allocation, driven by the government and OMCs absorbing higher fuel and LPG price increases.
Sitharaman 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.
'If you go by the capital expenditure, this is a good defence budget. But we will have to see if the government can keep defence spending at 2 per cent or higher in 2027-2028.'
No income tax relief, but compliance burden eased for youth and middle class through lower TCS.
The government introduced the SHANTI Act, 2025, to support the mission and open the sector to private participation.
Of the Rs 31,820.80 crore allocated to central sector schemes and projects, only Rs 11,868.05 crore was utilised, according to the revised estimates.
'You have to get private investment to somewhere between 35% to 36% of GDP. It is hovering about 30%-31%.'
The Sports Ministry has got a fillip with the government allocating Rs 3,397.32 crore, an increase of Rs 723.97 crore, in the Union Budget on Wednesday.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday makes history as she presents a record ninth consecutive Budget that is expected to unveil measures to sustain growth momentum, maintain fiscal discipline, and contain reforms that could buffer the economy from global trade frictions, including US tariffs.
What is the Budget? Why is it so important? Why does it affect all of us? And, above all, how does one interpret the budgetary lingo flying around?
Captains of the Indian industry on Monday welcomed the Union Budget 2005-06 describing it as growth-oriented.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution, moved by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, urging the Centre to recognise Tamil as the principal language of the Madras High Court. The resolution highlights Tamil's classical status and the need for judgments to be available in the local language, while also addressing historical demands and constitutional provisions.
The need for a manufacturing policy, reining in food inflation and raising investment in the country were among key suggestions given by economists who met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior ministry officials in the first round of pre-Budget consultations on Friday.
Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the first and only women till now to have presented the Union Budget.
The Finance Ministry's expenditure department has approved a substantial Rs 1.25 lakh crore outlay for India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, significantly increasing the country's investment in global chip-making ambitions and aiming to establish India as a major semiconductor hub.
The Indian government has approved the introduction of one billion polymer banknotes in Rs 10 and Rs 20 denominations for field trials, aiming to enhance durability. This move comes as the Finance Minister also addressed Parliament on declining retail inflation, GST reforms, and other fiscal measures taken to support the economy and household consumption.
This is the first Budget in my memory of Budgets over the last half a century which has embraced upfront, enthusiastically and emphatically, technology, modernity and fiscal sobriety, notes Shreekant Sambrani.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the Union Budget for 2012-13 on Friday.
Nirmala Sitharaman moved into her Kartavya Bhavan office on October 2, in time to get the work on the Budget 2026-2027 going.
The Union Budget for 2026-27 is expected to sketch out a road map for trebling the cooperative sector's contribution to the Indian economy over the next decade, with the aim of bringing 500 million people within its ambit, in line with the objectives of the National Cooperative Policy, 2025.
Here are the key numbers to watch out for in the Union Budget for 2025-26:
What is the Budget? Why is it so important? Why does it affect all of us? And, above all, how does one interpret the budgetary lingo flying around?
Overall market reaction to the Budget was neutral. Investors absorbed the changes to the tax rates (positive for salaried class) and capital gains taxes (CGTs, negative due to the removal of indexation and increases. Other proposals largely pertain to supporting rural development, buybacks taxed as dividends, Custom duty changes that impact multiple sectors, higher outlays for clean energy, etc. There's some moderation in the growth of capex outlay across defence, fer
