Budget 2026: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on Sunday, February 1. With this, she has become the longest-serving finance minister to hold the post continuously. During her Budget 2026, the Finance Minister laid down three Kartavyas and announced several reforms. She proposed major measures across six areas, including expanding manufacturing in seven strategic and frontier sectors, reviving traditional industries, building champion MSMEs, giving a strong push to infrastructure, ensuring long-term security and stability, and developing city-based economic regions.
FM Sitharaman Introduced Three Kartavyas:
• To accelerate economic growth by strengthening competitiveness and building resilience to volatile global dynamics.
• To fulfil people’s aspirations, build their capabilities and make them strong partners in the country’s journey towards prosperity.
• Prime focus on ensuring sab ka saath, sab ka vikas, so that every family, community and region has access to resources and opportunities for a healthy and meaningful participation.
ALso Read: Union Budget 2026 Income Tax Slabs Live Updates: IT act to come into effect from April 1
Union Budget 2026: Top Highlights From FM Sitharaman’s Speech
- During her Budget 2026 speech, the FM proposed interventions in six key sectors, including ramping up manufacturing in seven strategic and frontier sectors, reviving industrial sectors, motivating and creating champion MSMEs, giving a major push to infrastructure, ensuring long-term security and stability and promoting the development of city-based economic regions.
- The Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj scheme was proposed in order to strengthen the Khadi handloom. “I propose to set up mega textile parks in challenge mode. I propose to launch the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj initiative to strengthen Khadi and handloom,” FM said.
- FM Sitharaman, during her budget scheme, proposed a National Fiber Scheme for self-sufficiency in the space.
- Sitharaman proposed adding Rs 4,000 crore to Self Reliant India Fund in FY27 in order to support MSMEs.
- The center will continue developing infrastructure in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. It is also planning to establish a high-level banking committee for Viksit Bharat. This will align the sector with India’s next phase of growth.
- Sitharaman proposed seven high-speed corridors between major cities, terming them as growth connectors. The corridors will be made between Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bangalore, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bangalore, Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri.
- 25 crore citizens have come out of multi-dimensional poverty
- Centre proposes three new All India institute of Ayuveda.
- The FM proposed a Rs 20,000 crore outlay over the next five years for Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technologies. This will support scaling up and wider end-use adoption.
- She also announced the upgradation of AYUSH pharmacies and drug testing laboratories.
- She also proposed support to 5 university townships in major industrial logistics centres.
- Central government is planning to upgrade skills of 10,000 guides at 20 major tourist sites. FM proposed to develop ecologically sustainable trails in hilly states such as Himachal Pradesh, Utttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.
- Centre has proposed setting up girls hostel in every district.
- Centre has proposed setting up of Self-Help Entrepreneur (SHE) Marts in order to support women entrepreneurship.
- To improve access to mental healthcare in North India, FM proposed setting up of NIMHANS-2. She has also proposed to upgrade institutes in Ranchi and Tezpur.
- Public capital expenditure has been raised to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for financial year 2026–27, up from Rs 11.2 lakh crore this year. This will help in infrastructure development.
- Exemption of custom duty on 17 drugs and medicines.
Centre Proposed Khelo India Mission To Transform The Sports Sector:
• Integrated talent development pathway.
• Development of coaches and support staff so that athletes will get better coaching.
• Encourage competitions and leagues for healthy competition.
