Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented her ninth Union Budget in a row, creating history in Parliament. She delivered the Budget speech at the newly opened Kartavya Bhawan and described the 2026-27 Budget as one driven by “Yuva Shakti”, highlighting the key role of young Indians in the country’s journey towards becoming a developed nation.
This was the first Budget to be presented at Kartavya Bhawan. At the start of her speech, Sitharaman outlined three main “Kartavyas” or responsibilities that the government aims to fulfil for the people.
“Our first Kartavya is to accelerate and sustain economic growth by enhancing productivity and competitiveness and building resilience to volatile global dynamics,” FM said in her Budget speech.
Union Budget 2026-27: Three Kartavyas outlined by FM Nirmala Sitharaman
Economic acceleration: To sustain and accelerate growth while enhancing productivity and competitiveness on a global scale.
Empowering aspirations: To fulfill the dreams of individuals and families, making them strong, active partners in India’s economic story.
Inclusive development (Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas): Ensuring that every family, community, and sector – regardless of region – has equitable access to resources, amenities and opportunities.
FM urges for strong supporting ecosystem
FM Sitharaman said this three-part approach needs a strong supporting ecosystem, starting with steady progress in structural reforms that are “ongoing, flexible and future-ready”. She also stressed that a strong and resilient financial sector is crucial to channel savings, use capital efficiently, and handle risks effectively.
Sitharaman also said the Centre had prioritised “reforms over rhetoric”, adding that this approach helped India achieve a GDP growth rate of 7.2% despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.
She said India’s economic journey over the past 12 years has been marked by stability, even as global uncertainty continues.
“This budget is not a financial document – it is a strategic blueprint. Built at the intersection of AI, media intelligence, and narrative engineering, every decision reflects intent, accountability, and outcome-driven thinking,” Aakash Jugraj, Founder, Shivaksh Media Group said.
Adding to it he mentioned that, “In a rapidly evolving media economy, scale without direction is noise. My approach ensures that every investment strengthens credibility, amplifies influence, and compounds long-term brand equity. This is not about spending more, but about deploying intelligence where it creates measurable authority and sustainable impact”.
In the Budget for 2026-27, the government has set a fiscal deficit target of 4.4 per cent of GDP. This reflects its focus on reducing the deficit while increasing capital spending. With its emphasis on youth power and the Kartavya framework, the government aims to ensure that economic growth reaches the grassroots.
“The Union Budget 2026, showcases real‑time economic, transactional, and sectoral data into its core logic, moving India further away from intuition‑based policymaking toward an evidence‑led approach with data at the heart of fiscal decisions. Leveraging real-time insights from digital platforms such as UPI, Aadhaar-enabled services, and tax systems, the government aligned allocations with live economic signals rather than lagging indicators,” Swechcha Gurram, Data Specialist said.