Budget 2026 Live: What to Expect for MSMEs, AI, Defence & Taxpayers

Budget 2026 News LIVE: As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to present the Union Budget 2026 in a matter of few days, industries across India are expecting boost for their own sectors. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Budget 2026 on 1 February. This is the ninth consecutive Budget that the finance minister will present, breaking her own record. Budget 2026: Key dates 28 January: The Budget Session will commence at the Parliament with a joint address by President Droupadi Murmu to both the Houses. 29 January: According to the provisional calendar issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the House will also meet on this day. 31 January: Sitharaman is expected to present the Economic Survey on this day. The Economic Survey, which presents a comprehensive state of the economy, is presented by the finance minister a day ahead of the Budget. 1 February: Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Budget 2026 at 11 AM at the Lok Sabha. 13 February: The first half of the Budget Session ends. 9 March: The second half of the Budget Session will begin on this day. 2 April: The final day of the Budget Session, after which Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be adjourned sine die. When is Budget 2026? India Budget 2026 will be presented on 1 February, 2026, Sunday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget. Key Sectors to watch out for in Budget 2026 There will be several key sectors to watch out for Budget 2026 as FM Nirmala Sitharaman makes her Union Budget speech. The key sectors in focus for potential support include railways, infrastructure, urban development, manufacturing, auto, defence, electronics, MSME, renewable energy and AI among others. Areas like healthcare, tourism, agriculture, and logistics are also expecting a boost from the government. Read more: IRFC, RVNL to IRCON: Experts recommend railway stocks to buy ahead of Budget 2026 What happened in Budget 2025? Budget 2025 was historic in terms of relief to taxpayers. FM Sitharaman in that year's Union Budget overhauled the tax system and announced new slabs under the new tax regime, which effectively made income up to ₹12 lakh tax free. For the salaried class, this was increased to ₹12.75 lakh after standard deduction. Sitharaman also announced Development measures focusing on “Garib, Youth, Annadata and Nari”. She also announced several measures for MSMEs and infrastructure. Follow along for Union Budget LIVE Updates 2026 here.