Budget 2026: FM Nirmala Sitharaman attends ‘Halwa Ceremony’ to mark final stage of budget preparation

Union Budget 2026: The ‘Halwa ceremony’, which signifies the final phase of the Budget preparation for the Union Budget 2026-27, took place today at the Budget Press in North Block. The ceremony was attended by Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, ANI reported.

The ‘Halwa ceremony’ takes place before the 'lock-in' of officials responsible for preparing the Union Budget. The Union Budget 2026-27 is scheduled for presentation on February 1, 2026.

During the Halwa Ceremony, the Union Finance Minister was joined by the Secretaries of all departments within the Ministry of Finance, along with other senior officers engaged in Budget preparation.

Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary also attended the ceremony.

What is the ‘Halwa ceremony’?

The ‘Halwa ceremony’ is a customary event held each year before the budget announcement, where "halwa”, a classic Indian dessert, is prepared and served to officials and staff members of the finance ministry involved in the budget process.

During the ceremony, Sitharaman also visited the Budget Press to review the preparations and extended her best wishes to the entire budget team.

All Union Budget documents, such as the Annual Financial Statement (also known as the Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), and Finance Bill, will be accessible on the "Union Budget Mobile App." This will enable Members of Parliament (MPs) and the public to access these documents easily in a digital format, a Finance Ministry release said.

The Budget documents will be accessible on the Mobile App and website once the Union Finance Minister delivers the Budget Speech in Parliament, it added.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman will present India's Budget 2026 on 1 February, Sunday, marking a personal milestone as she delivers her ninth consecutive Union Budget.

The upcoming Budget will bring Sitharaman close to the record of 10 budgets presented by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, although he presented budgets in different time periods.

To date, despite many changes in the budget, such as merging the Rail Budget with the main Budget and making all documents digital, the longstanding tradition of the “halwa ceremony” as a customary part of every Union Budget still remains.