On Budget 2026, PM Modi says 'run-of-the-mill bahi khata not our approach'

PM Modi said the Union Budget 2026 reflects India's "yearning" to become a developed nation.

None of the budgets presented by the BJP-led NDA government have been drafted with an attitude of creating a run-of-the-mill 'bahi khata' documents as “that is not our approach”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. He further added that the Union Budget of 2026 presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament earlier this month was not a 'now or never moment' born out of compulsion but a 'we are ready' moment born out of preparation and inspiration.

PM Modi said that the post-pandemic world order is opening new doors for India and other countries are eager to collaborate in trade and innovation. (File Photo/DPR PMO)

Modi, in an interview with the PTI on Sunday, said the budget reflects India's "yearning" to become a developed nation.

"Our national character has revealed itself even in times of different kinds of challenges and we are a bright spot of growth even in difficult global circumstances," Modi was quoted as saying.

'Not a 'now or never' moment born out of compulsion'

Modi talked about the behavioural transformations and said that whether it is cleanliness or any other issue, people know that building a developed nation is not just about infrastructure or economy, but also about social habits.

"So, this is not a 'now or never' moment born out of compulsion. It is a 'we are ready' moment born out of preparation and inspiration. This Budget reflects this yearning to become a developed nation," Modi said.

Therefore, this budget should not be seen just as Budget 2026 but as the first budget in the second quarter of the 21st century, he said.

He added the new budget consolidates the gains made since 2014 and builds upon them to impart momentum for the next quarter-century. "Just as the decisions and initiatives taken in the 1920s laid the foundation for Independence in 1947, the decisions we are taking now are laying the foundation for Viksit Bharat by 2047," he said.

Modi said none of his government's budgets since 2014 have been made with an attitude of creating a run-of-the-mill 'bahi khata' documents.

"Because that is not our approach. It is my privilege that people's blessings have been with me for a long time, and I have served for 25 years as the head of government, first at the state level and now at the national level. If one takes a closer look at my approach in the last 25 years, it becomes clear that our work doesn't happen in bits and pieces.

"There is a broader strategy, a plan of action and an effective implementation that reflects the 'whole of the nation' thinking, continuity of purpose and a long-term vision, progressively unfolding step by step, year after year," Modi said.

Since 2014, the nation has come to view the Budget as far more than a ledger of numbers, facts, or ad hoc announcements, he said.

Modi asserted that each budget has contained intent, a clear-cut roadmap, and a sequence of actions, each with stated timelines for achieving them. Then we focus on implementation, and in the next Budget, it is taken to the next logical step, he said.

‘Space, sports and startups’

Modi further said that the post-pandemic world order is opening new doors for India and other countries are eager to collaborate in trade and innovation.

"We have a young and increasingly skilled population; and we are focusing on strong growth accompanied by low inflation and macroeconomic stability. Our youth are creating waves in fields as diverse as space, sports and startups. We have ensured political stability and a reform-oriented policy environment," he said.

He said that these developments are making people see see a historic opportunity for India. "Even as these developments were gaining momentum, the nation also witnessed the historic Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, which infused the people with a sense of mission," he said.