India Budget 2026 Expectations LIVE Updates: There is only one week before Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces Union Budget 2026 in Parliament on Sunday, 1 February. Ahead of the Budget speech, industry watchers and stakeholders are awaiting the government’s direction for the Indian economy.
Expectations are high from what will be Sitharaman’s ninth consecutive Budget speech. Notably, this is the first time that the India Union Budget is being presented on a Sunday in at least a decade.
Here is all you need to know about the India Budget 2026.
Budget 2026: Important dates to know
28 January: The Budget Session will commence at the Parliament with a joint address by President Droupadi Murmu to both the Houses.
29 January: According to the provisional calendar issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the House will also meet on this day.
31 January: CEA V Anantha Nageswaran is expected to present the Economic Survey on this day. The Economic Survey, which presents a comprehensive state of the economy, is presented by the finance minister a day ahead of the Budget.
1 February: The finance minister will present the Budget 2026 at 11 AM at the Lok Sabha.
13 February: The first half of the Budget Session ends.
9 March: The second half of the Budget Session will begin on this day.
2 April: The final day of the Budget Session, after which Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be adjourned sine die.
Budget speech: Is it on Sunday or Monday?
Union Budget 2026 will be presented on 1 February 2026, Sunday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget on this day.
Budget 2026: These sectors are in the spotlight
Budget 2026 will focus on the growth of India to a historic place through allocation to different sectors. The key sectors to look out for this year include railways, infrastructure, urban development, manufacturing, auto, defense, electronics, MSME, renewable energy and AI among others.
Other areas like healthcare, tourism, agriculture, and logistics are also likely to get allocations from the government for their benefit.
Key highlights from Budget 2025
In last year’s Budget 2025, Sitharaman gave a mega boost to Indian taxpayers by cutting income tax on earnings up to ₹12 lakh, benefitting millions of middle-class taxpayers. For the salaried class, the non-taxable income under the new tax regime increased to ₹12.75 lakh after standard deduction. She also announced the New Income Tax Act, 2025, which will come into effect from 1 April.
Follow along for Union Budget LIVE Updates 2026 here.
