Budget 2026: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Changes 75-Year-Old Budget Tradition

Budget 2026 is set to be announced with a break from a 75-year tradition. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to use Part B of her speech to unveil this year's financial vision for India's economic future, as per a NDTV report. Here is what is changing this time around and how it shapes the Budget 2026-27

What Is Changing In the Union Budget 2026-27?

In the past Union Budgets, most of the substance was laid out in Part A, while Part B consisted of tax and policy announcements. This time around, Part B is expected to outline the short-term and long-term goals and priorities for the Indian economy.

Economists in India and abroad are watching closely and anticipating the roadmap India is going to follow in the next financial year.

This is Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's ninth straight Budget. The format of delivering the Union Budget is not the only change she has made. She changed the leather briefcase, which she has been carrying the Budget for decades; now, the Budget is carried in a traditional 'Bahi-Khata' wrapped in a red cloth.

The government's planned capital expenditure for this financial year is estimated to be around Rs 11.2 lakh crore. The government is likely to keep its prime focus on artificial intelligence, auto, defence, electronics, infrastructure, manufacturing, MSMEs, railways, renewable energy and urban developments. Besides this, other sectors like agriculture, healthcare, logistics, and tourism are among those that are to get significant allocations from the Centre as well.

Nominal GDP growth projections for fiscal 2026-27 in the Budget will give an idea about the inflation trajectory ahead. The highlight of the budget again remains on G RAM G, along with health, education and technological sectors.

The Union Budget 2026 is about to set the tone for the financial growth for the next fiscal year. The Budget determines the lives and choices of the citizens, irrespective of their tax bracket. Hence, people are awaiting the details of the Budget to be rolled out.