Union Budget 2026 marks a historic moment as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents her ninth consecutive Budget, moving closer to Morarji Desai’s record.
She made history earlier by surpassing former Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s record of six consecutive Budgets.
When Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rises to present the Union Budget on February 1, 2026, she will quietly script another chapter in India’s parliamentary history. With this Budget, Sitharaman will complete nine consecutive Budget presentations, a rare feat that places her among the most influential finance ministers the country has seen.
Appointed in July 2019 as India’s first full-time woman finance minister, Sitharaman delivered her maiden Budget that same year. Since then, she has steered the economy through some of its most turbulent phases — including the Covid-19 pandemic, global supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures, and geopolitical uncertainty — while maintaining continuity in fiscal policymaking.
By February 2026, Sitharaman will have presented eight full Union Budgets and one interim Budget, all without interruption. This consistency has made her the longest-serving finance minister in terms of consecutive Budget presentations.
She made history earlier by surpassing former Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s record of six consecutive Budgets. On February 1, 2025, she became the first finance minister to present eight consecutive Union Budgets, setting a benchmark that no one else has achieved before.
The upcoming Budget will also see her move up the all-time list of finance ministers with the most Budget presentations.
The record for presenting the highest number of Union Budgets overall still belongs to Morarji Desai, who presented 10 Budgets during his long political career.
Desai first presented the Budget on February 28, 1959. He went on to deliver multiple full and interim Budgets across different tenures, including between 1959 and 1969, with a break in between. His tally of 10 Budgets remains unmatched so far.
With her ninth Budget in 2026, Sitharaman will move closer to this historic milestone.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram holds the second position, having presented the Union Budget nine times.
Chidambaram delivered his first Budget in 1996 under the United Front government and followed it up with another in 1997. His longest stretch came during the UPA years, when he presented five consecutive Budgets from 2004 to 2008. He later added two more Budgets in 2013 and 2014, taking his total to nine.
Sitharaman’s 2026 Budget will place her on par with Chidambaram in overall count, with the potential to overtake him in the years ahead.
Currently, Nirmala Sitharaman and Pranab Mukherjee share the third position, with eight Budgets each.
Mukherjee, who later became President of India, presented Budgets between 1982 and 2012 during different stints as finance minister. However, once Sitharaman presents the 2026 Budget, she will move ahead of Mukherjee in the rankings.
The record for the most consecutive Union Budgets firmly belongs to Nirmala Sitharaman. She achieved this milestone in 2025 by presenting eight Budgets in a row, surpassing all her predecessors.
As she prepares for her ninth straight Budget, the focus will not only be on policy announcements and economic direction, but also on a historic run that continues to redefine leadership at North Block.
