Budget 2026 Expectations LIVE Updates: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 19 January confirmed that the highly anticipated Union Budget 2026 will be announced in Parliament on Sunday, 1 February, by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
While an unusual practice, this will not be the first time a Union Budget presentation has been conducted on a Sunday. Prior to this, Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha has presented a budget on a Sunday (28 February 1999).
Notably, the industry has high expectations as this is the finance minister’s ninth consecutive Budget, and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s second full-fledged Budget amid its third consecutive term in power.
Union Budget 2026: Key Dates — Budget session, Economic Survey, FM’s speech
President Droupadi Murmu has approved summoning both Houses of Parliament for the 2026 budget session. Sitharaman held a pre-Budget meeting with Finance Ministers of States and Union Territories in New Delhi on 10 January.
Meanwhile, a day prior to the Budget, the Economic Survey is set to be presented to both houses of Parliament on 31 January by CEA V Anantha Nageswaran. Typically, the document details the finance ministry’s analysis of the Indian economy, and reviews performance over the fiscal year, looking at indicators from growth and inflation to jobs, trade, and fiscal health.
- 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: Sitharaman 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. The survey is prepared by CEA V Anantha Nageswaran.
- 1 February: Nirmala Sitharaman 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.
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