Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Union Budget 2026 LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to deliver her ninth straight budget speech in the Parliament today, with an aim to keep the Indian economy in the “goldilocks” zone of high growth and low inflation while battling geopolitical headwinds stoked by Donald Trump and his tariff tantrums.
Jobs creation and steps to boost India’s GDP growth are seen as the top budget priorities for Sitharaman, while raising government expenditure on infrastructure and reforming the import-export equation.
That, when the share of new private investment in the Indian economy fell to its lowest level in a decade in the year ended 31 March 2024, according to ICRA. To compensate, the government increased its share of capital spending by 30% in FY24.
The common man, who received an income tax and GST relief in the ongoing fiscal, can look forward to perhaps higher standard deduction under the new tax regime as well as joint ITR filing by couples.
Sitharaman is also expected to adhere to fiscal consolidation — the government is expected to shit focus to India’s debt-to-GDP ratio instead of a fiscal deficit target seen at 4.2% in FY27.
What time is the budget today?
Sitharaman is scheduled to begin her budget speech in the Lok Sabha at 11:00 am today. The speech typically lasts between 90 to 120 minutes, followed by the tabling of the Finance Bill.
Where to watch Budget Live?
You can catch the live coverage across multiple platforms:
TV: Tune into Sansad TV or Doordarshan for an uninterrupted live feed from the Parliament.
Official Webcast: Watch the livestream at budgetlive.nic.in or the India Budget Portal.
YouTube: Livestreams will be available on the Sansad TV YouTube Channel and the PIB India YouTube Channel.
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Jobs creation and steps to boost India’s GDP growth are seen as the top budget priorities for Sitharaman, while raising government expenditure on infrastructure and reforming the import-export equation.
That, when the share of new private investment in the Indian economy fell to its lowest level in a decade in the year ended 31 March 2024, according to ICRA. To compensate, the government increased its share of capital spending by 30% in FY24.
The common man, who received an income tax and GST relief in the ongoing fiscal, can look forward to perhaps higher standard deduction under the new tax regime as well as joint ITR filing by couples.
Sitharaman is also expected to adhere to fiscal consolidation — the government is expected to shit focus to India’s debt-to-GDP ratio instead of a fiscal deficit target seen at 4.2% in FY27.
What time is the budget today?
Sitharaman is scheduled to begin her budget speech in the Lok Sabha at 11:00 am today. The speech typically lasts between 90 to 120 minutes, followed by the tabling of the Finance Bill.
Where to watch Budget Live?
You can catch the live coverage across multiple platforms:
TV: Tune into Sansad TV or Doordarshan for an uninterrupted live feed from the Parliament.
Official Webcast: Watch the livestream at budgetlive.nic.in or the India Budget Portal.
YouTube: Livestreams will be available on the Sansad TV YouTube Channel and the PIB India YouTube Channel.
Follow all the updates here:
Feb 01, 2026 6:02:31 AM IST
Budget 2026 expectations: Technology & AI
The Union Budget 2026 is expected to focus on AI, given the outsized rhetoric that the technology is driving globally.
Bharat AI Mission: Reports suggest a potential ₹50,000 crore allocation to build India’s AI ecosystem, focusing on sovereign compute capacity, AI chip design, and data centres.
Semiconductors: The industry is looking at the India Semiconductor Mission) with higher budgetary allocations for approved projects and faster disbursement mechanisms.
Deeptech: Startups are seeking a dedicated deeptech fund and tax holidays for innovation-led firms.
Feb 01, 2026 5:38:55 AM IST
Budget 2026 Expectations: Auto & EV
Here’s a look at the key budget expectation of the auto sector:
FAME-III/PM E-DRIVE: With the current subsidy regime nearing its end, the industry expects an extension or a more robust PM E-DRIVE scheme with higher outlays for two-wheelers and commercial EVs.
GST Rationalisation: A major demand is to sync GST on all EV components (including batteries) to a uniform 5%, down from the current 18% on some parts, to reduce the “inverted duty structure” burden.
Hybrids: There is renewed pressure for concessional GST rates for hybrid vehicles to bridge the gap between ICE and EV.
Feb 01, 2026 5:22:29 AM IST
Union Budget 2026: Is the stock market open for budget today?
The Indian stock market is open today—Sunday, 1 February 2026—for a special live trading session to coincide with Union Budget 2026 today.
Trading hours for today
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) are following standard market timings:
Pre-Open Session: 9:00 am – 9:08 am
Normal Market Hours: 9:15 am – 3:30 pm
Closing Session: 3:40 pm – 4:00 pm
Important rules for today’s session:
Since today is technically a settlement holiday, there are a few specific restrictions to keep in mind:
No T+0 Settlement: Same-day settlement is not available today.
Selling Restrictions: Stocks bought on Friday (30 January) cannot be sold today. Similarly, stocks bought today can only be sold starting tomorrow, Monday.
Fund Availability: Any profits or sale proceeds from Friday’s trades will not be available in your account today. They will be credited Monday.
Commodity Markets: The MCX is also open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the NCDEX is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Get LIVE updates on Maharashtra & Jharkhand election results. Know More.
Feb 01, 2026 5:15:23 AM IST
Union Budget 2026 LIVE: The Capex Plan
Capital expenditure is set to remain a key focus of Sitharaman’s budget speech. The government is likely to allocate about ₹12.04 lakh crore for capex, or nearly 3% of GDP, according to a Bloomberg survey.
Some economists cautioned, however, that the government may be nearing a saturation point in expanding and executing large infrastructure projects.
Defence-related capital spending is projected to rise to ₹2.3 lakh crore in FY26 from 1.8 trillion rupees in FY25.
Feb 01, 2026 5:01:27 AM IST
Union Budget 2026 LIVE: The debt picture
Despite its commitment to reducing debt, the government is likely to resort to record bond borrowing. Economists expect gross market borrowing of ₹16.5 lakh crore and net borrowing of ₹11.6 lakh crore. The bond yield is seen at 6.7.% in December 2026.
