Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget for 2026-27 in Parliament at 11 am today, marking her ninth consecutive Budget.
The Budget is expected to outline the Centre’s priorities for the coming financial year, including measures to sustain economic momentum, boost private investment and create jobs, while keeping a close watch on the fiscal deficit.
Markets will remain open today despite Budget Day falling on a Sunday, with both the NSE and BSE operating during regular trading hours. Investors are heading into the Budget with largely muted expectations, seeking policy clarity rather than large fiscal giveaways. Key areas of focus include capital expenditure allocations for FY27, income tax policy, measures to boost export competitiveness, and the government’s approach to foreign trade diversification.
Participants will also track whether the Centre offers any relief in long-term capital gains taxation and whether it refrains from hiking transaction-related taxes. Sectoral allocations, particularly for infrastructure, manufacturing and exports, will be closely observed.
India’s economy has remained resilient despite external pressures, including trade disruptions and higher tariffs imposed by the US. Growth has been supported by public infrastructure spending and earlier tax cuts that lifted consumption.
Ahead of the Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the focus should be on “reform, perform and transform”, with an emphasis on long-term solutions.
This live blog will track all key developments, announcements and reactions as the Budget unfolds.
Ahead of the Union Budget 2026, silver on MCX opened at Rs 2.74 lakh per kg, down from Rs 2.92 lakh, while gold opened at Rs 1.45 lakh per 10 grams, lower than Friday’s close of Rs 1.49 lakh.
Equity benchmarks also opened weaker, with the Nifty50 down 0.23 per cent at around 25,263, and the Sensex marginally lower at 82,253.77. Midcaps and smallcaps underperformed, while Nifty Metal slipped over 4 per cent in early trade.
Ahead of the Union Budget, Dharmakirti Joshi, Chief Economist at Crisil Limited, said the Budget is being framed in a relatively benign macroeconomic environment, with growth and inflation outcomes better than expected despite global volatility.
He said the key priorities should be maintaining strong macroeconomic fundamentals and keeping the fiscal deficit under check, ensuring that the emerging pickup in private corporate investment becomes more sustained, and continuing the push on macroeconomic reforms.
Joshi added that improving ease of doing business and targeted support for select new-age sectors could help strengthen private investment momentum, even as volatile capital flows have weighed on the rupee.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrives at the Finance Ministry on Saturday morning, ahead of presenting the Union Budget in Parliament today.
VIDEO | Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrives at Finance Ministry ahead of presenting the Budget.#Budget2026WithPTI #UnionBudgetWithPTI
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/F9VJooQ4zc
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 1, 2026
Ahead of the Union Budget, Pushan Sharma, Director at Crisil Intelligence, said improving market price stabilisation will be key to supporting farm incomes.
“Price support mechanisms under PM AASHA have seen lower-than-expected utilisation and receive only 5-6% of the agriculture ministry’s budget,” he said, suggesting higher allocations, faster DBT settlements and incentives for states to improve scheme uptake.
“Climate-related events can materially impact agricultural production in India. A 1°C increase in temperature can reduce crop yields by 4.5–9%, leading to economy-wide losses of up to 1.5% of GDP annually,” said Pushan Sharma, Director at Crisil Intelligence ahead of the Budget.
He said sustained funding for climate-resilient agriculture programmes and scaling up irrigation schemes are critical to protect productivity and food security, especially for small and marginal farmers.
First Published: Feb 01, 2026, 06:48
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