Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget 2026 on Sunday, February 1, 2026, marking a personal milestone as she presents her
ninth consecutive Union Budget. This will be the first time in recent years that the union budget is presented on a Sunday. Previously, the key session was held on weekdays or Saturdays. While the budget has been presented on February 1 for many of the past years, this was not always the case. India’s Budget journey The first budget of Independent India was presented on November 26, 1947, by Finance Minister R.K. Shanmukham Chetty. As the economy evolved over the years, the budget has also evolved alongside in terms of timing and presentations. Until 2016, the government presented the Union Budget on the last working day of February. This, however, changed in 2017. Change in the presentation date In 2017, the then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made history by changing the budget date from the last working day of February to February 1. Since then, the union budget has always been presented on February 1, except during interim budgets necessitated by Lok Sabha elections. Why did the date change? The budget date was advanced to streamline the process and ensure a timely implementation. This shift in the date gave the ministries, departments and stakeholders more time to make necessary changes before the financial year began in April. Budget Time Shift For decades, the finance minister would present the budget at 5 PM, a practice started in the colonial era, as it aligned with the UK time zone. In 1999, then Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha shifted the Budget presentation timing to 11 AM. Since then, the budget has been presented in the parliament at 11 AM. The Union Budget 2026 is expected to focus on India’s growth trajectory through allocations to key sectors, including railways, infrastructure, urban development, manufacturing, auto, defence, electronics, MSME, renewable energy and Artificial Intelligence. Also Read: Budget 2026: Why the Middle Class May Be Left Disappointed - No Big Tax Cuts? Experts Dive In
