Nirmala Sitharaman speech highlights: Budget gives big boost to manufacturing, semiconductors, rare earth

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced initiatives to develop the Buddhist circuit in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Mizoram, and Tripura.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the launch of a Khelo India mission aimed at transforming the sports sector over the next decade. The mission will focus on:

- Integrated talent development pathways with training centers at foundational, intermediate, and elite levels.

- Systematic development of athletes and support staff.

- Integration of sports science and technology into training and performance.

- Competitions and leagues to promote a sports culture and provide platforms for athletes.

- Development of sports infrastructure for training and competitions.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, "To promote India as a medical tourism hub, I propose a scheme to support states to set up 5 regional hubs in the country."

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that Persons Resident Outside India (PROI) will now be allowed to invest in equity instruments of listed Indian companies through the Portfolio Investment Scheme.

Sitharaman says, "Individual Persons Resident Outside India (PROI) will be allowed to invest in equity instruments of listed Indian companies through the Portfolio Investment Scheme. It is also proposed to increase investment for PROI from 5% to 10%."

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: FM Nirmala Sithraman stressed on infrastructure growth with focus on Ties 2 and Tier 3 cities. She said, "We will continue to develop infrastructure in cities with over 5 lakh population, that is, tier 2 and tier 3 cities."

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that in 2026-27, the government plans to increase public capital expenditure to ₹12.2 lakh crore.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed the establishment of a National Institute of Hospitality to strengthen India’s tourism and hospitality sector. The institute will act as a bridge between academia, industry, and the government, she said.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finance minister Sitharaman announced a new dedicated freight corridor stretching from Dankuni in the East to Surat in the West, in her Budget speech.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says,"I propose to set up ₹10,000 crore MSME growth fund to create future champions."

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: The Union government, says Nirmala Sitharaman, proposed to support professional institutions like ICAI, ICSI to design short term modular courses.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed the creation of mega textile parks through a challenge mode to boost India’s textile sector. She also announced the launch of the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj initiative, aimed at strengthening Khadi and handloom, supporting rural artisans, and promoting traditional crafts under the Union Budget 2026-27.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed the development of seven high-speed rail corridors as part of efforts to boost connectivity and infrastructure in India. Key routes include: Mumbai to Pune; Pune to Hyderabad; Hyderabad to Bengaluru; Bengaluru to Chennai.

Additional corridors are planned to further strengthen regional connectivity and economic growth across the country under the Union Budget 2026-27.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says,"A scheme for rare earth permanent magnets was launched in 2025. We now propose to support the mineral-rich states of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu in establishing dedicated rare-earth corridors."

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “Our government has undertaken comprehensive reforms towards creating employment, boosting productivity and accelerating growth.”

She added that after PM Narendra Modi's announcement on Independence Day 2025, "over 350 reforms have been rolled out."

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government aims to accelerate and sustain economic growth through targeted interventions in six key areas:

Scaling up manufacturing in seven strategic sectors.

Rejuvenating legacy industrial sectors to boost productivity and competitiveness.

Creating champion MSMEs to strengthen the backbone of the economy.

Delivering a push for infrastructure development across the country.

Ensuring long-term security and stability in economic and financial systems.

Developing city economic regions to drive regional growth and urban development.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the launch of India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 as part of the Union Budget 2026-27, aimed at strengthening the country’s semiconductor ecosystem. Key highlights include:

- Focus on industry-led research and training centres for semiconductors.

- Increased outlay of ₹40,000 crore to capitalise on the momentum of the semiconductor mission.

- Support for mineral-rich states including Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

- Launch of a scheme to help states establish three dedicated chemical parks through a challenge route, boosting domestic manufacturing capabilities.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Nirmala Sitharaman says," Since we assumed office 12 years ago, the country's economic trajectory has been marked by stability, fiscal discipline, sustained growth and moderate inflation." She credited this change to be the "result of conscious choices we have made even in times of uncertainty and disruptions."

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted that India’s disease burden is increasingly shifting towards non-communicable diseases, making biologic medicines crucial for longevity and improved healthcare outcomes.

To strengthen India’s position as a global bio-pharma hub, the Budget proposes Biopharma Shakti, a new initiative with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore over five years aimed at boosting research, manufacturing, and innovation in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India will continue to take progressive steps towards achieving Viksit Bharat, highlighting the government’s focus on long-term development, inclusive growth, and sustainable economic reforms in the Union Budget 2026-27.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Union Budget 2026 is guided by a clear ‘sankalp’ – to focus on the poor and disadvantaged. She framed the Budget around three key ‘kartavya’:

1. Accelerate and sustain economic growth by enhancing competitiveness.

2. Fulfill the aspirations of the people across the country.

3. Ensure access to resources and opportunities for every family, community, and region.

Nirmala Sitharaman Budget speech LIVE: Finanace minister Nirmala Sitharaman is addressing the Parliament for the consecutive ninth time on the Union Budget 2026 today

Nirmala Sitharaman speech live updates: Congress MP Jebi Mather expressed cautious expectations ahead of the Union Budget 2026.

She said, “Everybody comes with a lot of expectations, but so far what we have seen is the use of fancy terms. Earlier, we heard about a five-trillion-dollar economy, but that term has disappeared. Then came Atmanirbhar Bharat and now Viksit Bharat, the terms sound good, but what matters is how the government plans to address rising unemployment and the falling rupee... In the last Budget, there was not even a mention of Kerala, as if the state did not exist. Now that Kerala is heading into elections, even if it is only a political gimmick, we do have expectations. We are hopeful that the long-standing demand for an AIIMS in Kerala will be addressed in this Budget.”

Nirmala Sitharaman speech live updates: Finanace minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her historic ninth consecutive Budget shortly in the Parliament. The house is scheduled to convene around 11 am, after which her highly anticipated address will begin.

Nirmala Sitharaman speech live updates: Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, stage protest inside Parliament premises ahead of Budget presentation. Akhilesh Yadav, SP leader was seen holding a poster with "Budget for the people, not for the corporates" written on it.

Budget speech LIVE: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Sunday said she hopes the Union Budget does not disproportionately focus on election-going states, while stressing the need for relief for the middle class.

“Firstly, I’d like to congratulate her (Nirmala Sitharaman) because this is her ninth consecutive budget as a woman finance minister. I hope the Union Budget does not focus on election-going states,” Chaturvedi said.

She added that the Budget should address ways to increase disposable income so people can meet essential needs and also spend on savings, children’s education and healthcare, which would provide meaningful relief to the middle class.

Chaturvedi also pointed to the imbalance between personal income tax and corporate tax, noting that personal income tax has emerged as a larger source of revenue collection. She said this may need to be re-examined to ensure fair contribution, especially since citizens also pay indirect taxes through GST and other levies.

“I am hoping this will be a budget for every single person in the country, and not one announced only for those states that are going into an election,” she added.