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India’s annual economic moment is back on the calendar. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2026-27 on February 1, 2026, setting the tone for fiscal policy, taxation and government spending for the coming financial year. 

The presentation carries both political and economic significance, as it will be her ninth consecutive Budget and the third full Budget of the Narendra Modi-led NDA 3.0 government.

Adding to the occasion, the Budget will be tabled on a Sunday, an increasingly rare choice in recent decades. The announcements are expected to influence everything from income tax slabs and farm support to capital spending and welfare allocations.

Parliament Session: When the Budget Session Begins and Ends

The Budget Session of Parliament will begin on January 28 and continue until April 2, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced. In a post on X, Rijiju said President Droupadi Murmu had approved the summoning of both Houses of Parliament for the session on the recommendation of the Union government.

The long session allows time not only for the Budget presentation but also for debate, voting on demands for grants and the passage of key financial legislation. For lawmakers, it is one of the most important parliamentary sessions of the year.

With this Budget, Sitharaman will overtake several former finance ministers, including Manmohan Singh, Arun Jaitley, P Chidambaram, Yashwant Sinha and Morarji Desai, in terms of the number of Union Budgets presented.

Economic Survey: The Day Before Sets the Tone

The Economic Survey 2026-27 will be tabled on January 29, by Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran, sources revealed to ABP Live. Traditionally, the survey is released a day before the Budget presentation, but this year, it is being preponed.

The Survey provides the government’s official assessment of the economy,  reviewing growth, inflation, employment, public finances and global risks. It often offers clues to the policy direction that the Budget will take, making it essential reading for markets, economists and policymakers alike.

When Will the Budget Be Presented?

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will begin her Budget speech in Parliament on February 1 at 11 AM sharp.

The timing follows the now-established practice of presenting the Budget in the forenoon, a shift made in recent years to align the fiscal calendar more closely with the financial year beginning in April.

How and Where to Watch Union Budget 2026 Live

For viewers across the country, the Budget will be available across multiple platforms:

• Official Union Budget website: indiabudget.gov.in
• Sansad TV and Doordarshan on television
• Live streams on the YouTube channels of Sansad TV, Doordarshan and the Press Information Bureau
• Live updates and analysis on ABP Live

This multi-platform coverage ensures that citizens, investors and businesses can follow the announcements in real time.

Taxpayers Watch Closely After Big Relief Last Year

Expectations among taxpayers are high after the major changes announced in Budget 2025-26, which made annual income up to Rs 12 lakh tax-free under the new tax regime.

This year, taxpayers are hoping for further relief, simpler compliance rules and targeted benefits across sectors. Whether the government chooses to widen slabs, raise standard deductions or fine-tune surcharges will be closely watched by salaried employees and professionals alike.

Economic data released ahead of the Budget adds another layer of context. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has projected GDP growth of 7.4 per cent in the current fiscal, up from 6.5 per cent in 2024-25. However, nominal GDP growth, which does not adjust for inflation, is expected to slow to a five-year low of 8 per cent, a key factor for estimating tax collections in the 2026-27 Budget.