In her eighth budget, Nirmala Sitharaman strikes a delicate balance between stimulating growth and staying true to fiscal consolidation, aiming for a sustainable economic future amid global uncertainty.

We have heard the voice of middle class who had been complaining about their aspirations not being met despite being honest taxpayers', Sitharaman said

FM Sitharaman donned a Madhubani silk saree as she presented her eighth budget, highlighting Bihar projects. The opposition clashed over Kumbh deaths but fell silent as she announced zero tax on Rs 12L income.

Overall, the Budget focuses on providing significant benefits to the middle class by reducing the tax rates and thereby increasing the take home pay for individuals. It is clear that the Budget is aiming to further promote adoption of the new regime.

In her Union Budget 2025-26 speech, Sitharaman unveiled a significant relief for taxpayers, announcing that those earning up to ₹12 lakh annually would no longer be required to pay income tax.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made history on Saturday by presenting her eighth consecutive budget with a 74-minute-long speech. This achievement brings her closer to the record held by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who presented 10 budgets during his tenure, six between 1959 and 1964 and four from 1967 to 1969.