Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

March 27, 2026 9:49 PM

Parliament approves Finance Bill; Budget 2026-27 gets legislative nod

The Parliament on Friday approved the Finance Bill 2026 with the Rajya Sabha returning it to the Lok Sabha by a voice vote, completing the legislative process to provide the legal backing for the proposals of the Union Budget 2026-27 to kick in during the new financial year beginning from April 1. The Lok Sabha passed the bill on March 25, along with 32 amendments. The Rajya Sabha returned the bill after a brief discussion, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's reply to questions raised b...

March 5, 2026 9:44 PM

PM Modi to address post-budget webinar on agriculture tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a post-budget webinar on the theme "Agriculture and Rural Transformation" on Friday via video conferencing, according to a PMO statement. Under this theme, PM Modi is holding eight different webinar sessions covering four major sectors that include agriculture, animal husbandry and dairying; fisheries and rural livelihoods. The post-budget webinar will focus on promoting high-value agriculture by unlocking the potential of crops such as cashew, coconut...

February 27, 2026 9:29 AM

PM Modi to address post Budget webinar today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the post-Budget webinar on "Technology, Reforms and Finance for Viksit Bharat" today via video conferencing, according to a PMO statement. The webinar will entail discussions on public capex, infrastructure, banking sector reforms, financial sector architecture, deepening capital markets, and ease of living through tax reforms, the statement said. The webinar is the first in a series of post-Budget webinars being organised on key themes emerging from t...

February 23, 2026 4:30 PM

‘Make in India’ helps create lakhs of jobs, women biggest beneficiaries: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Women have been the biggest beneficiaries under the ‘Make in India’ initiative which created lakhs of direct and indirect jobs, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday. IT Minister said that ‘Make in India’ initiative has created jobs and provided skilling at an unprecedented scale. The Apple ecosystem alone has created at least 250,000 direct jobs, with 70 per cent beneficiaries being women. Moreover, the ecosystem has generated at least 7,50,000 indirect jobs. “India is pre...

February 7, 2026 12:21 PM

Farm and dairy sectors fully protected under India–US trade framework: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said India has safeguarded the sensitivities of its agriculture and animal husbandry sectors under the interim trade framework with the United States, while securing expanded market access for Indian exports. She said the framework protects key farm, dairy and allied products, helping strengthen farmer incomes and sustain rural livelihoods. Under the interim trade framework, the US will reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent, cr...

January 31, 2026 4:39 PM

BSE, NSE to conduct regular trading session on Budget Day

India’s stock exchanges will hold a regular live trading session on the Union Budget 2026–27 on February 1, despite it being a Sunday. Historically, Budget presentations have been held on February 1, with markets opening for trading even when the date falls on a weekend. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2026–27 at 11 am in the Lok Sabha on February 1. The National Stock Exchange said in a circular, “On account of the presentation of the Union Budget, m...

January 29, 2026 12:15 PM

FM Sitharaman tables Economic Survey 2026 in Parliament

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday tabled the Economic Survey 2026 in Parliament, which will set the official tone on how the economy of the country is performing on a strong note despite global uncertainties and US tariffs. The Economic Survey will reveal India’s projected GDP growth estimates for the current fiscal (FY26) as well as the upcoming financial year (FY27). The key pre-budget document summarises the annual economic development of India and charts out short and medium...

December 17, 2025 6:33 PM

Cutting debt-to-GDP ratio will be govt’s core focus next fiscal: FM Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that reducing India’s debt-to-GDP ratio will be the government’s core focus in the next financial year 2026–27, stressing the need for sustained fiscal discipline to support long-term growth. Speaking at a media interaction in the national capital, the Finance Minister noted that the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio had crossed 60 per cent during the Covid-19 period but has since begun to decline. “It is already coming down, but we nee...

December 1, 2025 10:06 AM

FM Sitharaman to Introduce Key Bills as Winter Session of Parliament Begins

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will introduce two key bills in the Lok Sabha on Monday as the Winter Session of Parliament begins. The session, which runs until December 19, will have 15 sittings and a packed legislative agenda. The government has listed 14 items of legislative and financial business for the session. On Monday, the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to update the Central Excise Act, 1944, and the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025 will be...

November 12, 2025 4:19 PM

FM Sitharaman meets MSME sector stakeholders for pre-budget consultation

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday chaired the third pre-Budget consultation with stakeholders from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The meeting was in connection with the forthcoming Union Budget 2026-27, according to a Finance Ministry statement. "Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs @nsitharaman chairs the third Pre-Budget Consultation with the stakeholders from Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises MSMEs in connection with the forthcoming Union Budg...