Budget 2026 today: When does Sitharaman’s speech start and how to watch it live

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget for financial year 2026-27 amid heightened global uncertainties and trade frictions.

Sitharaman has steered the economy through the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, and all eyes will be on her when she presents the Budget for a record ninth consecutive time.

It will also take her a step closer to former prime minister Morarji Desai’s record of presenting the budget on 10 occasions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Sitharaman presenting the budget in Parliament for the ninth consecutive time will be "recorded as a matter of pride in India’s parliamentary history.”

Ahead of the presentation, the Union Cabinet will meet in the morning to approve the budget documents.

When will the Budget speech start?

The Budget presentation is scheduled to begin at 11 am in Lok Sabha.

In the Union Budget, the finance minister will lay out the government’s strategy for the upcoming financial year.

The Budget will outline the government’s revenue and expenditure plans for the next financial year beginning April 1 and will be closely tracked by markets, industry and policymakers.

How to watch Budget speech

Sitharaman’s Budget speech will be telecast live on Doordarshan and streamed on the Sansad TV network. Live coverage will also be available on the official YouTube channels of Sansad TV.

The speech will be also livestreamed on the YouTube channel of Upstox.

What to expect

The government faces pressure to boost consumption, accelerate job creation and step up capital spending, while keeping the fiscal deficit on a downward path.

The Economic Survey projected India’s economy to grow in the range of 6.8% to 7.2% in the financial year 2026-27.

While domestic demand has held up and inflation has moderated from recent highs, global uncertainties continue to cloud the outlook.

The United States has imposed a steep 50% tariff on Indian goods, which also includes a punitive 25% levy for buying Russian crude oil.

India and the US have held six rounds of talks to strike a bilateral trade deal but there has not been any sign of breakthrough despite both sides expressing optimism in public.