The Union Budget 2026 will be presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, February 1, at 11:00 am in Parliament. This will be her ninth successive Budget presentation, a rare milestone in the history of the Indian Parliament, and only the second time that the full Union Budget will be presented on a Sunday.
Budget presentation schedule
The budget will be presented at 11:00 am, as has been the practice since 2017, to align the exercise with the beginning of the financial year on April 1. The Budget used to be presented at 5:00 pm, a colonial legacy, but this changed in 1999.
The Budget Session of Parliament began on January 28, and the Economic Survey was placed before members on January 29. The plan is to provide sufficient time for discussion and enactment of the Finance Bill and other legislation before the end of March, ensuring a smooth transition into the new fiscal year.
Also Read | Why is the Union Budget presented on February 1? Here’s the reason behind the shift
Where to watch Budget 2026 live?
Viewers can watch the full Budget speech live across multiple platforms from 11:00 am onwards:
Sansad TV – live telecast
DD News – national broadcast
Official Budget portal – indiabudget.gov.in
YouTube channels of Sansad TV and the Press Information Bureau
Live streams on major television news websites
The Budget website will make available the major documents, press releases, and detailed annexures after the speech is over.
Also Read | Union Budget 2026: A simple guide to key financial terms you should know
Why Budget 2026 matters?
Budget 2026 assumes special significance, marking the continuity of policies as the Modi government embarks on its third term. It follows the 2024 Interim Budget and the 2025 Full Annual Budget, thus being the second Full Budget of the present government.
This Budget presentation is special in its own right, as February 1 is a date that hardly falls on a weekend. While Finance Minister Sitharaman presented the Budget on a Saturday in 2025, a Full Budget on a Sunday, as Parliament sits, is not common.
What is the Union Budget?
The Union Budget is an annual financial document presented in terms of Article 112 of the Constitution. It outlines the estimated receipts and expenditures of the next financial year, including tax proposals, expenditure, and policies.
The Budget is divided into the Revenue Budget, which deals with the normal business expenditure of the government, and the Capital Budget, which focuses on the creation of assets and liabilities.
