Budget 2026 date & time: When and where to watch FM Nirmala Sitharaman's 9th budget speech? What to expect?

Budget 2026 Date & Time: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present this year's Union Budget, marking her ninth consecutive budget speech and, notably, the first time in recent history that the Indian Union Budget will be presented on a Sunday.

This year's budget is expected to focus on sectors such as railways, infrastructure, urban development, manufacturing, auto, defence, electronics, MSME, renewable energy and AI, among others.

With hopes high on incentives for key sectors and relief for taxpayers, here's a detailed guide on when and where to watch the Budget 2026 speech today.

Budget 2026: Date and time

FM Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 on Sunday, 1 February 2026. Her speech will commence at 11 am, a tradition that continues to this day.

Where to watch the Budget 2026 speech?

To catch the live coverage of the Union Budget 2026, can follow our official website, LiveMint, or our YouTube channel. Click on the link below for live updates.

The live broadcast of Sitharaman's speech in multiple languages will be available on the Sansad TV channel on YouTube, while the state-run Doordarshan (DD) television channels will also run a live feed from Parliament's Budget Session on 1 February.

Additionally, the live video feed will be available on the official Union Budget website (indiabudget.gov.in) and on the Finance Ministry's and the Press Information Bureau's (PIB) official social media pages.

Important dates for Budget 2026

Here are key dates for Budget 2026 –

• 28 January: The Budget Session began with a joint address by President Droupadi Murmu to both the Houses of Parliament.
• 29 January: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2026, a snapshot of the state of the Indian economy.
• 1 February: Sitharaman will present the Budget 2026 at 11 AM at the Lok Sabha.
• 13 February: The first half of the Budget Session ends.
• 9 March: The second half of the Budget Session will begin on this day.
• 2 April: The last day of the Budget Session, after which Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be adjourned sine die.

What to expect from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech?

Mint earlier reported that this year's Union Budget will likely focus on key sectors such as railways, MSMEs, defence, infrastructure, and green energy, and that the central government seeks to carry forward the consumption push from last year.

Sector-wise expectations at a glance –

Railways

An 8-10% year-on-year rise in railway capex is expected, driving increased project awards in the rail and road sectors, positively impacting infrastructure firms under coverage, Mint earlier reported, citing analysts from Motilal Oswal. Read the full report here.

Defence

Budget 2026 is likely to prioritise the defence sector, with increased capital expenditure, indigenisation, and technology development amid geopolitical tensions, Mint reported earlier. Read the full report here.

Infrastructure

Experts told LiveMint that they predict a 10-15% rise in government capital expenditure for the upcoming financial year, reaching ₹12-12.5 lakh crore. In Budget 2025, the finance minister had allocated a historic ₹11.21 lakh crore to India's infrastructure, up from ₹11.11 lakh crore the previous year. Read the full report here.

Real estate

Morgan Stanley anticipates that the government might consider permitting deductions for interest paid on home loans for self-occupied properties under the new income tax regime, as Mint earlier reported. Read the full report here.

Pharma & Healthcare

Expectations include continued investment in public health, focusing on primary healthcare, hospital infrastructure, and workforce capacity, supported by measures such as innovation incentives and R&D tax benefits.

FMCG

For the FMCG sector, key expectations include rationalised customs duties, an inverted GST structure, measures to increase disposable income, support for startups and logistics, an innovation push, and more.

Agriculture

The Union Budget is expected to strengthen agriculture through increased funding and reforms, emphasising sustainability, improved infrastructure, and productivity, while tackling global trade challenges and improving the overall agricultural ecosystem.

Tax-related expectations at a glance –

Standard deduction hike

Experts told LiveMint that they expect the standard deduction for salaried taxpayers to increase to ₹1 lakh, as the current ₹75,000 under the new regime and ₹50,000 under the old regime.

Joint taxation for married couples

Several reports suggest that ICAI and tax experts have suggested to implement a joint taxation system for spouses, allowing married couples to file a single income tax return by combining their incomes.

Tweak in income tax slabs

As per experts, the government is unlikely to make any changes to income tax slabs in the Union Budget 2026, while expectations are high for tweaks to TDS and standard deductions.

Incentive for homeowners

In an earlier LiveMint report, ClearTax founder and CEO Archit Gupta highlighted the importance of including Section 24(b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, in the new tax regime. This section allows taxpayers to claim a deduction of up to ₹2 lakh on interest paid on a home loan for a self‑occupied property. Read the full report here.

TDS rationalisation

EY suggested that Budget 2026 should establish a clear roadmap to streamline the TDS rate structure to no more than three or four rates. B2B payments subject to GST could be exempt from TDS, as information about such transactions is already captured in Form 26AS/AIS. Read the full report here.

FAQs

• When will the budget speech begin?

The budget speech will begin at 11 am on Sunday, 1 February 2026.

• Where to watch the budget speech?
  
  Follow LiveMint or our YouTube channel for live coverage of the Union Budget 2026. FM Nirmala Sitharaman's speech will be broadcast on Sansad TV and Doordarshan on 1 February, with updates also available on the official Union Budget website and social media pages.
• Which sectors are in focus?
  
  Key focus areas for this year's budget include railways, infrastructure, urban development, manufacturing, auto, defence, electronics, MSME, renewable energy, and AI.
• Which sectors are likely to see capex support?
  
  Defence, infrastructure, FMCG, and railways are among the sectors that are likely to receive a capex push.
• Will income tax slabs change significantly?
  
  Experts suggest there is a lower chance of major tax slab tweaks in the Union Budget 2026.
• Is ₹1 lakh standard deduction likely?
  
  According to experts, the standard deduction for salaried taxpayers is expected to rise to ₹1 lakh.