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

Budget speech LIVE: Ahead of presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called on President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday. As part of the customary pre-Budget ritual, President Murmu offered customary dahi-chini to the finance minister before she headed to Parliament for the Budget speech.

Budget speech LIVE: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav struck a sceptical note ahead of the Union Budget, he told PTI, “When there is no hope from the government itself, what expectations can one have from its budget?”

Budget speech LIVE: On UnionBudget2026 expectations, Ajit Mangrulkar, director general of the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said sentiment remains positive around today’s Budget.

“Expectations are very positive. It will be a growth-oriented budget like all other budgets... Fiscal deficit is also under control. But I believe they could spend more because growth is what they should focus on... Our government is strong and serious enough to continue the growth pattern. We expect increased investment in infrastructure. We will see much more in technology. We are expecting an increase in defence expenditure... I don't see much happening in personal taxation...”

Budget speech LIVE: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Union Budget being presented today is a “Viksit aur Aatmanirbhar Bharat ka Budget,” underscoring the government’s focus on development and self-reliance.

A Cabinet meeting is currently underway in Parliament ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has arrived at Parliament and is scheduled to deliver her Budget speech at 11 am in the Lok Sabha.

Budget speech LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Parliament this morning ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Budget in the Lok Sabha at 11 am today.

Budget speech LIVE: Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty moved in a narrow range in early trade on Sunday as investors stayed cautious ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament later in the day.

After opening on a positive note, the 30-share BSE Sensex pared gains and was trading 13 points higher at 82,282.82, while the NSE Nifty slipped 7.90 points to 25,312.75 after a marginally higher start.

Among Sensex stocks, Sun Pharma surged nearly 3% after reporting a 16% rise in consolidated net profit to ₹3,369 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, driven by growth across business segments. Bharat Electronics, Power Grid, NTPC and HDFC Bank were also among the major gainers, reported PTI news agency.

On the downside, Infosys, Tata Steel, Eternal and Tech Mahindra were trading lower in early deals.

Nirmala Sitharaman speech live updates: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman followed the customary pre-Budget protocol on Sunday ahead of presenting her record ninth Union Budget in the Lok Sabha. As per established tradition, she called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan before heading to Parliament.

Earlier in the day, Sitharaman posed for photographs with her Budget team outside her office at Kartavya Bhavan. Dressed in a magenta silk saree, she was seen carrying a tablet enclosed in a red pouch bearing the national emblem, alongside Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and the six secretaries of the finance ministry.

After meeting the President, Sitharaman proceeded to a Cabinet meeting, where the Union Budget for 2026-27 received formal approval. She continues the tradition she introduced in 2019 by carrying the Budget speech in a ‘bahi-khata’ style pouch, replacing the earlier briefcase custom.

Nirmala Sitharaman speech live updates: Ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament, equity markets opened on a weak note on Friday, snapping a three-day rally. The BSE Sensex fell 619.06 points to 81,947.31 in early trade, while the NSE Nifty dropped 171.35 points to 25,247.55.

Nirmala Sitharaman speech live updates: Nirmala Sitharaman speech live updates: Anticipation is building ahead of finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget 2026 speech, scheduled for 11 am today in the Lok Sabha.

This will be her ninth consecutive Budget presentation, with expectations centred on tax proposals, government spending priorities and the broader fiscal roadmap amid global economic uncertainty.

Budget speech LIVE: The Union Budget 2026 will be presented today, Sunday, February 1, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman scheduled to begin her Budget speech in the Lok Sabha at 11 am. This marks the first time in independent India’s history that the Union Budget is being presented on a Sunday.

Budget speech LIVE: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with Minister of State For Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and other officials heads to Rashtrapati Bhawan ahead of presenting the Budget.

Budget speech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met President Droupadi Murmu this morning ahead of presenting the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament. The Budget speech is scheduled for 11 am, with all eyes on the key announcements expected today.

Budget speech LIVE: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman left the Ministry of Finance carrying the Budget document on a digital tablet, enclosed in a traditional red ‘bahi khata’-style pouch. The move blends India’s fiscal traditions with technology, as all eyes turn to her 11 am Union Budget 2026 speech.

Budget speech LIVE: Union minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary said, “Over the past 11 years, the Budgets presented under the leadership of the Prime Minister have reflected the aspirations of the people and have been aimed at taking the country forward. The Budget being presented today is aligned with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047."

Budget speech LIVE: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS Pankaj Chaudhary pose with their team ahead of the Union Budget 2026-27.

Budget speech LIVE: The Union Budget 2026, to be presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman today, is expected to push forward regulatory reforms aimed at reducing compliance burdens, sources familiar with the matter said.

The move aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Reform Express” focus in recent policy directives, and is seen as a step toward achieving the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

Budget speech LIVE: The Union Budget 2026 comes at a time of global uncertainty, with economic pressures from US President Donald Trump’s tariffs affecting trade and growth.

Here are five key areas to watch in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech:

1. Experts expect this year’s Budget to focus on reducing government debt to 49–51% of GDP. The fiscal deficit for 2026-27 is likely to be targeted at 4.2% of GDP, with gross borrowing projected between ₹16 trillion and ₹16.8 trillion, according to Reuters.

2. Taxpayers will be watching for potential changes to long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax thresholds, along with an expansion of the rebate under Section 87A for resident Indians. Currently, individuals with taxable income up to ₹12 lakh can claim a rebate of up to ₹60,000, but capital gains tax still applies on mutual fund investments under the new regime.

3. India is expected to ease foreign investment rules in defence units, as the defence ministry seeks a 20% increase in military spending, Reuters reports.

4. There are expectations that the standard deduction could be raised from ₹75,000 to ₹1 lakh under the new tax regime, providing relief to salaried taxpayers.

5. Exporters are hoping for lower import duties on inputs for key sectors like electronics and textiles, to boost domestic manufacturing. The move comes amid rising US tariffs, with Trump already imposing 50% duties on Indian goods, putting additional pressure on exporters.

Budget seech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived at Kartavya Bhawan ahead of her highly anticipated Union Budget address. The Ministry of Finance, previously headquartered at North Block, now operates from Kartavya Bhavan on Janpath.

Sitharaman is set to present her ninth consecutive Union Budget today, a milestone that will see her equal the record of former finance minister P Chidambaram and surpass that of Pranab Mukherjee.

Budget speech LIVE: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman left her residence this morning to head to the ministry of finance, ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27 today.

The Budget speech is scheduled for 11 am in the Lok Sabha, marking her ninth consecutive Budget presentation.

Budget speech LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman holds the record for delivering the longest Union Budget speech. In 2020, her Budget address lasted 2 hours and 42 minutes, making it the longest in India’s parliamentary history.

Budget speech 2026: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to prioritise job-creating growth while maintaining fiscal prudence in Union Budget, as India navigates geopolitical risks amid steep US tariffs.

The Budget speech, scheduled for 11 am, is likely to spell out higher government spending on infrastructure such as roads, ports and railways to sustain demand and generate employment. The measures are aimed at shielding the world’s fastest-growing major economy from external headwinds, according to a survey of economists by Bloomberg News.

Economists also expect the government to announce a lower fiscal deficit target of 4.2% of gross domestic product for the financial year beginning in April.

Budget speech LIVE: Sitharaman, who took charge of the finance ministry on May 31, 2019, will become the longest-serving finance minister to hold the post continuously. She has led the ministry through the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of global geopolitical turmoil, during which India emerged as the fastest-growing major economy.

She completed six years and eight months in office on January 31, 2026, and Sunday’s presentation will mark her record ninth Budget in a row.

Ahead of the session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sitharaman presenting the Budget for the ninth consecutive time “will be recorded as a matter of pride in India's parliamentary history”.

Former prime minister Morarji Desai had presented the Union Budget 10 times, while P Chidambaram presented it nine times, though not consecutively. The longest uninterrupted tenure before Sitharaman was held by C D Deshmukh, who served as finance minister for about six years and two months starting June 1950.

Budget speech LIVE: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech, the highly anticipated event of Sunday, is expected to put “unprecedented emphasis” on Part B of the Union Budget 2026-27, as reported by HT earlier, citing government sources.

The budget speech is likely to look markedly different from those delivered over the past 75 years, with the second part, which talks about taxation, receipts, expenditure and fiscal strategy, takingcentre stage.

Budget speech LIVE: FM Sitharaman is scheduled to begin her Union Budget 2026 speech in the Lok Sabha at 11 am on Sunday. The Budget address typically runs for around 90 to 120 minutes, after which the Finance Bill is formally tabled in Parliament.