Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is slated to present the annual budget on February 1 — marking her ninth consecutive address and setting a new record. The Budget session of Parliament will begin on January 28, with President Droupadi Murmu addressing both Houses at once. The Economic Survey will be tabled the next day (January 29).
When and where to watch Budget 2026 live?
The Finance Minister will begin presenting the Budget for FY27 before the Parliament on February 1. The address will start at 11:00 am with a live broadcast through various platforms.
It can be streamed in real-time via the official Union Budget website, Sansad TV and Doordarshan. Several TV news channels will also carry live coverage while Sansad TV, Doordarshan and the Press Information Bureau will stream the proceedings on their respective YouTube platforms and provide updates via social media.
The Financial Express will also be tracking the updates and providing live coverage of all details.
GDP growth estimated at 7.4%
India released its first advance estimate of GDP numbers for FY26 earlier this month — projecting a growth rate of 7.4% during the current financial year. Data provided by the National Statistics Office also estimated that real GDP would reach Rs 201.90 lakh crore while nominal GDP grew by an estimated 8% during this period.
The numbers are better than the 7.3% forecast by the RBI and the initial projection of 6.3% to 6.8% from the government. It also indicates that New Delhi will maintain its status as the world’s fastest-growing major economy despite punitive US tariffs announced by President Donald Trump and continued geopolitical tensions. Economists have ralso emained somewhat wary amid the heightened global uncertainty, tariff tensions and the cautious investment sentiment prevalent in the markets.