Nirmala Sitharaman to Present Historic Ninth Consecutive Union Budget in February 2026
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is poised to make history by presenting her record ninth consecutive Union Budget on 1 February 2026. This budget is anticipated to introduce several reform measures designed to bolster India's economic growth, particularly in the face of uncertain geopolitical conditions that have been exacerbated by recent international trade tensions.
Geopolitical Context and Economic Implications
The geopolitical volatility influencing this budget is partly attributed to actions taken by the Trump administration, which imposed 50% tariffs on India last year. Additionally, the US President had threatened to escalate trade conflicts with European allies over their opposition to a proposed US takeover of Greenland, though he later reversed this stance. These developments underscore the challenging global environment in which Sitharaman's budget will be framed, aiming to navigate such external pressures while fostering domestic economic resilience.
Approaching a Historic Record in Budget Presentations
With this upcoming budget, Sitharaman moves closer to matching the long-standing record of 10 budgets presented by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai. Desai's budgets were delivered over two separate periods: six during his first stint as finance minister from 1959 to 1964, and another four from 1967 to 1969. If Sitharaman presents one more budget after this, she will equal Desai's remarkable achievement in India's budget history.
In comparison, other notable former finance ministers have also made significant contributions:
- P Chidambaram presented nine budgets.
- Pranab Mukherjee presented eight budgets.
However, Sitharaman holds the unique distinction of presenting the highest number of budgets consecutively—nine in a row under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. To date, she has presented eight straight budgets, including an interim one in February 2024, making her the longest-serving finance minister for uninterrupted budget presentations.
Sitharaman's Tenure and Milestones
Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed as India's first full-time woman finance minister in 2019, following Prime Minister Modi's decisive second-term victory. After Modi returned to power in 2024 for a third term, Sitharaman retained her position in the Finance Ministry, continuing her impactful tenure.
Record for Longest Budget Speech
Beyond the number of presentations, Sitharaman also holds the record for the longest budget speech in India's history. In 2020, her speech lasted an impressive two hours and 40 minutes, starting at 11 AM and concluding at 1:40 PM. Notably, she had to cut her speech short with two pages remaining due to feeling unwell, and Speaker Om Birla completed it on her behalf.
Despite its length, her speech fell short in terms of word count compared to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 1991 budget speech, which contained 18,650 words. This highlights the evolving nature of budget presentations over the decades.
Details of the Upcoming Budget
The Union Budget for the financial year 2025-26 is scheduled to commence at 11 AM on 1 February 2026. As Sitharaman prepares for this landmark event, all eyes will be on the strategic measures she unveils to support India's economic trajectory amidst global uncertainties.
