Despite the relatively shorter duration, Sitharaman continues to hold the distinction of delivering the longest Budget speech in Indian parliamentary history
Nirmala Sitharaman. Pic/PTI
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday created history by presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget 2026, further cementing her place in India’s parliamentary record books. The Union Budget 2026 speech, delivered in the Lok Sabha, lasted around 84 minutes, marking the first time a Union Budget has been presented on a Sunday.
Sitharaman still holds record for longest Budget speech
Despite the relatively shorter duration, Sitharaman continues to hold the distinction of delivering the longest Budget speech in Indian parliamentary history. That record was set in 2020, when her Union Budget address ran for an extraordinary two hours and 42 minutes, reflecting the growing breadth and complexity of India’s fiscal and economic policymaking.
Budget speeches become sharper and shorter over the years
Over the years, the length of Sitharaman’s Budget speeches has gradually come down, mirroring a shift towards sharper, more focused presentations. In 2019, her first Budget speech lasted over two hours and included nearly 11,000 words. The 2020 speech crossed 13,000 words, while subsequent Budgets saw a steady reduction in both time and word count. Her 2024 interim Budget speech, for instance, was delivered in just 56 minutes, while the full Budget later that year ran for about 1 hour and 22 minutes. The 2025 Budget was completed in around 74 minutes.
FM highlights decade of stability, reforms under Modi government
As she rose to present the Union Budget 2026, Sitharaman underlined what she described as a decade of economic stability under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Since we assumed office 12 years ago, India’s economic trajectory has been marked by stability. This government has chosen action over ambivalence and reform over rhetoric,” she told the House, adding that structural reforms, fiscal prudence and monetary stability have gone hand in hand with sustained public investment.
Global challenges, GST reforms and fiscal roadmap in focus
The Finance Minister also flagged the challenging global backdrop, pointing to disruptions in trade, multilateral systems and supply chains. She noted that rapid technological change is transforming production systems while sharply increasing demand for water, energy and critical minerals. Against this backdrop, Sitharaman said India would continue to move confidently towards the goal of Viksit Bharat by balancing ambition with inclusion.
During the Budget presentation, she laid two statutory statements before Parliament under Section 3(1) of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2003—the Medium-term Fiscal Policy-cum-Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement and the Macro-Economic Framework Statement.
The Budget document also signalled a renewed push towards indirect tax reforms, with proposed changes under ‘GST 2.0’ aimed at simplifying compliance through a two-rate structure of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, lowering costs and easing the burden on consumers.
This year’s Budget assumes added significance amid concerns over export growth, particularly following the United States’ decision to impose a steep 50 per cent tariff on certain Indian goods.
Earlier in the week, Sitharaman had tabled the Economic Survey of India for 2025–26, setting the context for the Budget by outlining the state of the economy.
The ongoing Budget Session of Parliament will run for 30 sittings spread over 65 days and is scheduled to conclude on April 2. Both Houses will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 to allow Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments.
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