Union Budget 2026: Date, Time, When And Where To Watch Live?

Union Budget 2026: The Union Finance Minister unveils the Union Budget in the Parliament on February 1 every year. For the upcoming financial year 2026-27, the Union Budget 2026 will be will be presented in the Parliament on Sunday, February 1, 2026.

This is the first time that the Union Budget will be presented on a Sunday.

When will the Union Budget 2026 be presented?

Former Union Finance Minister, the late Arun Jaitley, began the tradition of presenting the Union Budget on February 1 every year in 2017. Since then, all Union Budgets, except interim ones, have been presented on the same date. 

Since the late Arun Jaitley started the current trend in 2017, all Union Budgets have been presented on Saturdays and other days of the week. This is the first time since 2017 that February 1 will fall on a Sunday. 

The upcoming budget session in the Parliament is expected to be divided into two parts. The first part is scheduled to be held from January 28 to February 13 while the second term is scheduled for March 9 to April 2.

What is a Union Budget?

The Union Budget is an annual statement of financial affairs containing the estimated receipts and expenditure of the following financial year which is presented before both Houses of Parliament under Article 112 of the Constitution of India. 

Budget 2026 will be the ninth consecutive budget presented by current Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. This will also be the second full-fledged Union Budget presented during the third term of the Narendra Modi administration, after the interim budget of 2024 and a full annual budget of 2025.

When did the Budget-making Process Begin for 2026?

The process for the Union Budget for FY 2026-27 began in August 2025. This involves the budget circular, which sends instructions to all the ministries and government departments for estimated revenue and expenditure for the relevant financial year.

What is the Economic Survey?

The Economic Survey is usually presented the day before the Union Budget. The Economic Survey contains detailed statistical information on the performance of the economy during the ongoing financial year.

What is the significance of the Halwa Ceremony?

The final stage of the preparation of the Union Budget Preparation starts with the Halwa Ceremony, a tradition which began in the 1980s as a symbolic expression of gratitude by the Union Finance Minister to all the key officials involved in the Budget preparation. 

The Halwa ceremony signals the start of the lock-in period when the top officials involved in preparing the Budget are restricted from exiting the North Block or the Budget printing premises or making any unauthorized communications.