01 February,2026 10:26 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman outside the Ministry of Finance. Pic/PTI
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to create a landmark moment in India's parliamentary and economic history as she presents her ninth consecutive Union Budget, a feat never achieved by any finance minister before her.
With the presentation of the Union Budget for 2026, Sitharaman becomes the first finance minister in independent India to deliver nine budgets in an unbroken sequence. This milestone underlines her continuity and central role in shaping India's fiscal policy since 2019 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In terms of overall numbers, Sitharaman now surpasses former finance ministers P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee, both of whom presented nine budgets during their political careers, but across non-consecutive tenures. Chidambaram's budgets, for instance, were spread over three decades and multiple governments, making Sitharaman's uninterrupted run especially significant.
She now stands just one budget short of equalling the all-time record held by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who presented 10 Union Budgets during two separate stints between 1958-63 and 1967-69. If Sitharaman presents the Budget again in 2027, she will match Desai's record - doing so in a single continuous tenure, something unprecedented in Indian fiscal history.
Adding another historic dimension, this is the first time the Union Budget is being presented on a Sunday since Independence. Traditionally, if February 1 fell on a weekend, the presentation was deferred, as seen in 1999 during the tenure of Yashwant Sinha. By sticking to the date, Sitharaman continues the trend of breaking long-standing conventions, much like her earlier decision to replace the colonial-era briefcase with the now-iconic âdigital bahi-khata'.
To ensure immediate market response, both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India are holding a special full trading session despite it being a weekend.
The record-setting Budget comes against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, including geopolitical tensions, supply-chain disruptions and concerns over trade policies, particularly potential US tariff measures that could impact Indian exports.
Domestically, expectations from the Union Budget 2026 are high. A key focus is likely to be the transition to the New Income Tax Act, 2025, which is set to replace the six-decade-old Income Tax Act of 1961 from April 1, 2026. Middle-class taxpayers and salaried professionals are looking for targeted relief, including an enhanced standard deduction and possible expansion of the Section 87A rebate under the new tax regime.
According to the Economic Survey of India 2025-26, tabled earlier this week, India's economy is projected to grow between 6.8 per cent and 7.2 per cent in the coming financial year, reinforcing its position among the world's fastest-growing major economies.
Significant allocations are also expected for capital expenditure, infrastructure development, railways - including advanced safety systems such as Kavach 4.0 - defence preparedness and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, as the government balances growth ambitions with fiscal discipline.
