All eyes are now on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as the countdown to Budget 2026 has begun, which will mark the biggest business event for the country at the beginning of 2026. Sitharaman will present the 88th Union Budget, and her ninth consecutive Union Budget, on Sunday, 1 February 2026.

The upcoming Sunday Budget will mark the second full-year budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 3.0 government. Nirmala Sitharaman still holds the title of presenting the longest budget speech in terms of duration in Indian history.

In 2020, Sitharaman’s budget speech was 2 hours and 42 minutes long, beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing till 1:40 p.m. (IST).

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

Ahead of Budget 2026, experts and stakeholders across industries have put forward their expectations from the government. Sectors like real estate, defence, aviation, education, export and jewellery, among others, are counting on FM Nirmala Sitharaman to open up her purse for their benefits.