Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget on Sunday, Feb. 1, marking her ninth consecutive one.
She assumed office as India’s first woman finance minister in July 2019 and delivered her maiden Budget the same year. Since then, Sitharaman has presented eight Budgets, including an interim Budget in February 2024.
Morarji Desai: Record For Most Budgets
The record for the most Union Budgets presented is held by Morarji Desai, who delivered a total of 10 Budgets, including two interim Budgets. Desai was the finance minister between 1959 and 1963, and then again from 1967 to 1969.
Desai’s Budget journey began on Feb. 28, 1959, followed by full Budgets in 1960 and 1961. He presented an interim Budget in 1962 and then two full Budgets consecutively. After a four-year gap, he returned for an interim Budget in 1967 and subsequently presented three more full Budgets in 1967, 1968 and 1969. His record of 10 remains unmatched till now.
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P Chidambaram: Nine Budget Presentations
Former finance minister P Chidambaram ranks second, having presented nine Budgets. His first Budget presentation happened in 1996 under the United Front government, followed by another in 1997. Chidambaram then delivered five consecutive Budgets between 2004 and 2008 during the UPA government and later presented two more in 2013 and 2014, bringing his total to nine.
Pranab Mukherjee And Nirmala Sitharaman At Third Spot
Nirmala Sitharaman currently shares the third spot with former President Pranab Mukherjee, with both having presented eight Union Budgets to date. Sitharaman’s tally also includes an interim Budget in February 2024.
Mukherjee, during his tenure as finance minister, delivered his first Budget in 1982 and his last in 2012. With the 2026 Union Budget, Sitharaman is set to move ahead of Mukherjee.
Consecutive Budgets: Sitharaman Holds The Record
However, the record for consecutive Union Budgets is held by Nirmala Sitharaman. On Feb. 1, 2025, she became the first finance minister to present eight consecutive Budgets. Earlier, on July 23, 2024, she surpassed Morarji Desai’s record of six consecutive presentations.
Sitharaman is set to extend her record for the most consecutive Union Budgets, reaching nine in a row when she presents the Budget on Feb. 1, 2026.
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