New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her ninth consecutive Budget, the Union Budget 2026, on 1 February (Sunday), today, at 11:00 am. It will be the ninth time that Sitharaman will present the Union Budget.
She is now just behind former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who had presented 10 budgets over multiple tenures as finance minister.
Catch LIVE Updates Below:
9:43 am:
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with officials outside the Ministry of Finance in New Delhi before the presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27.
9: 33 am:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman calls on President Droupadi Murmu before presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget.
9:30 am:
Nifty, Sensex Open Flat In Special Budget Session:
Domestic stock markets opened largely flat on Sunday during a special budget session, as Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her ninth consecutive Union Budget at 11 am. The Nifty 50 index opened at 25,333.75, registering a marginal gain of 13.10 points or 0.05 per cent, while the BSE Sensex opened at 82,445.97, up by 176.19 points or 0.21 per cent.
9:28 am:
'Jobless Growth Doesn't Help Anyone...': Shashi Tharoor
"We are all looking forward to hearing what the Finance Minister has to tell us. The Economic Survey projects good economic growth...Whether that growth is going to be accompanied by jobs? Jobless growth doesn't help anyone. So, we are anxious to see what kind of schemes they have in mind to generate more jobs in this country for young people of India," the Congress leader said.
"Apart from that, there will be many things. We in Kerala, with an election coming up, are looking to see what benefits the Central Govt might give us," Tharoor added.
9:17 am:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman heads to Rashtrapati Bhawan to call on President Droupadi Murmu before presenting her ninth Union Budget.
9:12 am:
Big Tax Announcements Expected For Middle Class, Seniors & Salaried Taxpayers: Everybody's eyes will be on the Union Budget 2026, to see whether the government will make changes to income tax slabs or not. According to a recent report by Morgan Stanley, the government had reduced personal income tax rates in the previous budget, which directly affected tax collections. However, the report also suggests that the finance minister may still announce selective relief for certain groups, especially the middle class and salaried taxpayers.
9 am:
Madhya Pradesh Deputy CM Jagdish Devda said he belives that the uNion Budget 2026 will be people-centric.
8:57 am:
Sitharaman arrives at Finance Ministry ahead of the Union Budget 2026.
8:10 am
7:50 am
Nirmala Sitharaman's sweeping income tax and GST cuts, together with spending on infrastructure and the RBI's interest rate reductions, have so far helped the Indian economy withstand the punitive 50 per cent tariff US President Donald Trump has imposed on Indian goods. But now, she has to come up with measures to sustain the momentum. (PTI)
7:30 am
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a huge respite for taxpayers In Union Budget 2025, informing there will be zero income tax up to an annual income of ₹12 lakh.
7:20 am
Citizens can watch the broadcast of Sitharaman's speech through the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha LIVE feeds on the “Sansad TV” YouTube channel or via state-run Doordarshan (DD) television channels.
10:00 pm
BJP leader Ghulam Ali Khatana On Budget
"The country is progressing under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi...Nirmala Sitharaman is experienced. She will present a better budget than the previous government's. This budget will be for everyone, from infrastructure and technology to Digital India, farmers, and common people... Through 'Local for Vocal' and startups, PM Modi has put the country in the hands of its youth," BJP leader Ghulam Ali Khatana said on budget 2026.
9:00 pm
FM Nirmala Sitharaman To Focus More On Part B Of Budget Speech
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will reportedly focus more in detail on Part B than Part A of her budget speech. During earlier Union Budgets, most of the substance lay in Part A, while Part B was confined to tax and policy announcements. This time, Part B is expected to outline both short-term and long-term economical goals.
7:00 pm
Elderly Rights Groups Urge FM Nirmala Sitharaman To Restore Rail Concessions
Senior citizens’ organisations from Maharashtra have urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to overhaul policies for the elderly ahead of the Union Budget 2026. The Joint Action Committee demanded restoration of railway concessions, GST removal on elder care services and a universal monthly pension of ₹3,000 for non-taxpaying seniors.
