Union Budget session for the fiscal year 2026-27 has begun on 28 Jan 2026 and will continue till 13 February. Followed by another session from 9 March to 2 April, after a break.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the third Union Budget of Modi 3.0 on February 1, 2026. This marks a significant milestone as it will be her ninth consecutive budget, making her the only finance minister in India to achieve this feat.
Additionally, budgets have been presented on working days; however, in recent memory, this is the first budget being presented on a Sunday. In 1999, when the scheduled date of February 28 fell on a Sunday, the then Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha presented the Union Budget a day earlier on February 27 (Saturday),
Let’s delve into history to highlight finance ministers who hold the record for presenting the highest number of budgets.
The First Budget Of Independent India
After gaining independence on August 15, 1947, India’s first budget was presented on November 26, 1947. This was an interim budget tabled by RK Shanmukham Chetty, the first finance minister of independent India.
The total budget allocation was ₹171.15 crore, with a fiscal deficit of ₹24.59 crore. Notably, this budget was presented for a seven-and-a-half-month period rather than a full financial year.
Morarji Desai: The Finance Minister With The Most Budgets
Former Prime Minister Morarji Desai holds the record for presenting the most budgets. 10 times in total, a record that remains unbroken. His tenure as finance minister is divided into two phases:
First tenure (1959-1963): Presented four consecutive Union Budgets and one interim budget in 1962.
Second tenure (1967-1969): Presented one interim budget (1967) followed by three consecutive Union Budgets (1967-1969).
Desai presented his first budget on February 28, 1959, and remains one of the most influential finance ministers in India’s economic history.
Nirmala Sitharaman’s Record-Breaking Streak
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who took charge as India’s first full-time woman finance minister in July 2019, delivered her maiden Budget that very year. On February 1, 2026, she will present her ninth consecutive budget, surpassing the record of former President Pranab Mukherjee.
She surpassed Morarji Desai’s record of six consecutive budgets on July 23, 2024, by presenting her seventh in a row. So far, Sitharaman has tabled one interim budget and 7 Union Budgets, with the upcoming one being her ninth.
P Chidambaram: Second-Highest Budget Presenter
Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram has presented the budget nine times, making him the second-most prolific finance minister after Morarji Desai. Chidambaram’s first budget was presented in 1996 during the tenure of Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. He continued to present budgets during the UPA 1 and UPA 2 governments.
Pranab Mukherjee: Eight-Time Budget Presenter
The late Pranab Mukherjee, who later became the President of India, presented his first budget in 1982. Over his career, he presented a total of eight budgets, including three consecutive ones from 2009 to 2012.
As India gears up for the 2026-27 Budget Session, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to make history with her ninth consecutive budget. While leaders like Morarji Desai, Chidambaram, and Pranab Mukherjee have left an indelible mark on India’s financial landscape, Sitharaman is now among the most prolific finance ministers in the country’s history.
With the budget coming amid the chaos in bulion maket, all eyes will be on Sitharaman as she unveils the government’s financial roadmap for the coming year.
Also Read: Kerala Makes History With India’s First Dedicated Elderly Budget
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