New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today delivered her ninth consecutive Union Budget speech in the Lok Sabha, creating a new record in India’s parliamentary history.

Sitharaman began the day by following the traditional pre-Budget practice of meeting President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan before proceeding to Parliament. Earlier, she posed for photographs with her Budget team outside Kartavya Bhavan. Wearing a magenta silk saree, she carried a tablet in a red pouch bearing the national emblem, accompanied by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and six senior Finance Ministry secretaries.

After calling on the President, she attended a Cabinet meeting where the Union Budget 2026-27 received formal clearance. Continuing the tradition she introduced in 2019, she presented the Budget documents in a ‘bahi-khata’ style pouch, replacing the earlier briefcase practice.

Lok Sabha agenda and Finance Bill

As per the Lok Sabha’s business schedule, the House convened at 11 am, when Sitharaman presented the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Government of India for 2026-27. She also tabled two key statements required under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, including the Medium-term Fiscal Policy-cum-Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement and the Macro-economic Framework Statement.

She is also set to introduce the Finance Bill, 2026, which provides legal backing to the taxation and financial measures announced in the Budget.

Economic Survey tabled earlier

Ahead of the Budget, Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2025-26 in Parliament on Thursday. Considered the economy’s annual report card, the Survey reviews trends, challenges and growth drivers, while the Budget sets out the government’s future spending and taxation roadmap.

Record-breaking Budget presentation

Sitharaman, who assumed office on May 31, 2019, is now the longest-serving finance minister in uninterrupted tenure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said her ninth straight Budget presentation would be remembered as a proud moment in India’s parliamentary history..

Indian stock markets are also open on Sunday, February 1, 2026, with a special trading session scheduled to coincide with the Union Budget presentation. DeshGujarat