FM Sitharaman Calls on President Ahead of Budget Presentation
Finance minister follows tradition with Rashtrapati Bhavan visit before Budget approval and tabling in Lok Sabha
New Delhi, Feb 1: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan ahead of presenting the Union Budget for 2026–27 in the Lok Sabha, marking the customary pre-Budget engagement.
Prior to the visit, Sitharaman posed for photographs with members of her Budget team outside her office at Kartavya Bhavan. Dressed in a magenta silk saree, she carried a red pouch bearing the national emblem and holding the Budget documents in digital form, accompanied by the Minister of State for Finance and senior officials from the ministry.
The finance minister, along with MoS Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and six departmental secretaries, called on the President before proceeding to a Cabinet meeting, where the Budget received formal approval.
Continuing a practice introduced in 2019, Sitharaman carried the Budget speech in a traditional ‘bahi-khata’, symbolising the move away from the briefcase custom.
The 2026–27 Budget marks Sitharaman’s ninth consecutive presentation and is expected to focus on sustaining economic growth, maintaining fiscal prudence and introducing reforms to cushion the economy against global trade uncertainties, including potential tariff pressures from the United States.
The fiscal roadmap comes amid a challenging environment, with domestic demand remaining resilient and inflation easing, while global risks such as geopolitical tensions, fluctuating commodity prices and uneven monetary policy shifts by major economies continue to weigh on prospects. At home, priorities include stimulating consumption, generating employment and accelerating capital expenditure while adhering to deficit reduction targets.
