Ahead of presenting the Union Budget 2025-26, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In a widely shared moment, the President offered Sitharaman ‘dahi-cheeni’ (curd and sugar) — a traditional Indian ritual for good luck before an important event.
Sitharaman, dressed in a traditional Indian saree, posed with her team, holding the red ‘Bahi Khata’—India’s ‘digital Budget’ wrapped in traditional cloth. Soon after, she proceeded to Parliament, where her Budget speech would begin at 11 am.
A historic milestone
This marks Sitharaman’s eighth consecutive Budget, making her the first Finance Minister of India to achieve this feat, surpassing former Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s record of six consecutive Budgets, from 1959 to 1964.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will approve the Budget before it is formally presented in Parliament.
Stay tuned with Business Standard for live updates on the Union Budget 2025 and its impact on India’s economic future. You can catch live coverage of Sitharaman’s Budget 2025 speech on the Business Standard website and Business Standard’s official YouTube channel.
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India’s economic outlook
A day before the Budget, Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey FY25. The survey says that India’s economy is projected to grow between 6.3 per cent and 6.8 per cent in FY26. Chief Economic Adviser, V Anantha Nageswaran noted that while India remains on a steady growth trajectory, globalisation is slowing down. This shift presents both challenges and opportunities. To sustain its momentum, India must prioritize economic reforms and leverage its youthful workforce.
Despite global economic uncertainties, India’s economy remains robust. The survey indicates that the country’s financial and corporate sectors are in solid shape. Resilience is driven by strong government policies, steady private spending, and fiscal discipline. However, a slowdown in globalisation could present future risks.
Budget traditions and changes
Sitharaman redefined Budget traditions in 2019 by replacing the British-era Budget briefcase with a red ‘Bahi Khata’ ledger. In 2021, she took a step further by presenting India’s first-ever paperless Budget using a ‘Made in India’ tablet.
Following the Union Budget, Sitharaman will also present the annual Budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Budget session of Parliament began on January 31 and is expected to continue until April 4, 2024.
