Economic Survey 2026 Date And Time: When And Where To Watch Live, How To Download PDF

Economic Survey 2026 Date & Time: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the Economic Survey 2025-26 in Parliament today, January 29, at 11 am, setting the stage and tone for the Union Budget to be presented on February 1. Released a day ahead of the Budget, the annual document provides a comprehensive assessment of India’s macroeconomic performance and outlines the government’s view on growth prospects, risks and key policy priorities.

Prepared by the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser, the Economic Survey serves as the analytical foundation for Budget decisions. While it does not announce tax changes or policy measures, it offers crucial insights into the state of the economy, making it a key reference point for policymakers, investors,

economists and financial markets.

Economic Survey 2026: When to watch live

The Economic Survey will be presented in Parliament on Thursday, January 29, at 11 am. Following its tabling, V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, will address a press conference at the National Media Centre in New Delhi at 2.30 pm. During the briefing, he is expected to highlight key findings, growth assumptions and major policy challenges outlined in the document.

Where to watch Economic Survey 2026 live

Live coverage of the Economic Survey presentation can be watched on Sansad TV and Doordarshan. The livestream will also be available on the official Union Budget website, indiabudget.gov.in.

In addition, News18 will run a live blog with real-time updates and key takeaways from the Survey presentation. The finance ministry’s and the Press Information Bureau’s official social media platforms will also share updates.

How to download Economic Survey 2026 PDF

The Economic Survey 2025-26 will be available for download in PDF format from the official Union Budget website. Readers can access the document at https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/economicsurvey/index.php. The download link will be activated once the Survey has been formally presented in Parliament.

What the Economic Survey covers

The Economic Survey offers a detailed snapshot of the Indian economy, covering trends in GDP growth, inflation, fiscal position, employment, credit growth, trade and the external sector. It also evaluates the impact of government reforms, public capital expenditure, manufacturing incentives and infrastructure spending, while flagging risks stemming from global economic developments.

The 2025-26 edition is expected to focus on sustaining economic growth amid global uncertainty, strengthening manufacturing and exports, and pursuing fiscal consolidation without derailing economic momentum.

Growth projections and past trends

India’s actual economic growth has often exceeded the projections made in previous Economic Surveys. According to an analysis cited by PTI, the economy is expected to grow at 7.4 per cent in 2025-26, higher than the 6.3–6.8 per cent projection made in last year’s pre-Budget document.

In 2023-24, GDP growth stood at 9.2 per cent, significantly above the Survey’s estimate of 6–6.8 per cent. Growth in 2024-25 came in at 6.5 per cent, broadly in line with the projected range of 6.5–7 per cent. However, the projection was missed in 2022-23, when actual growth was 7.6 per cent against an estimated 8–8.5 per cent. In 2021-22, no growth projection was made due to pandemic-related uncertainty, though the economy expanded by 9.7 per cent on a low base. In 2020-21, GDP contracted by 5.8 per cent following the Covid-19 outbreak and nationwide lockdowns.

Setting the stage for the Union Budget

Presented just ahead of the Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Economic Survey plays a critical role in shaping expectations around the government’s policy direction. While the Budget will spell out spending plans and tax proposals, the Survey explains the broader economic thinking that underpins those decisions.

For markets and policymakers alike, the Economic Survey 2025-26 will offer vital insights into where the Indian economy stands today and how the government plans to steer it in the year ahead.