India Budget 2026 Expectations LIVE Updates: Just two days ahead of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget speech scheduled on 1 February, we take a look at what the industry wants from the government.
This will be Sitharaman’s ninth consecutive Budget speech and is the first time that the India Union Budget will be presented on a Sunday in at least a decade.
The Halwa ceremony, which marks the final stage of the preparation process for Union Budget 2026-27, was held on 27 January in the Budget Press at North Block, in the presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Halwa ceremony takes place before officials are locked in to prepare the Union Budget.
Economic Survey 2026: What were the broad indicators?
Notably, the government’s health report of the Indian economy, the Economic Survey 2026 was tabled in Parliament on 29 January.
According to the Economic Survey 2026, the Indian economy is expected to expand by 6.8-7.2% in FY27, supported by strong macro fundamentals and a series of regulatory reforms. The survey also found that India’s core and headline inflation rates are likely to be higher in FY27 than in FY26. However, it is unlikely to be a concern. As of November 2025, India’s fiscal deficit stood at 62.3% of the Budget Estimates, and the government aims to attain a fiscal deficit target of 4.4% of GDP by FY26, the survey noted.
Here is all you need to know about the India Budget 2026.
Budget 2026: Key dates — Highlights
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.
29 January: At 11 am, 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.
What date is the Union Budget 2026 speech?
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: Which sectors are in the spotlight this year?
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.
Top announcements made in 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.
