FM Nirmala Sitharaman Concludes Consultations for FY 2026 Budget
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman wrapped up a month-long consultation exercise for the preparation of the Union Budget 2025-26. The consultations, which commenced on December 6, 2024, engaged over 100 participants from nine stakeholder groups, including industry representatives, social sector experts, and economists, according to a Finance Ministry statement.
The discussions involved representatives from farmer associations, agriculture economists, trade unions, and the education and health sectors, as well as experts from MSMEs, trade and services, industry, financial markets, and infrastructure and energy sectors. Sitharaman expressed her gratitude to the participants for their valuable input and assured them that their suggestions would be carefully examined during the budget-making process.
Citizens will also have the opportunity to contribute their ideas and recommendations for the Union Budget 2025-26 starting January 10, 2025, via the MyGov platform. The initiative, aimed at fostering inclusivity in policymaking under the spirit of ‘Jan Bhagidari’, encourages citizens to submit innovative and constructive suggestions. Contributions can be made at www.mygov.in.
The consultation meetings were attended by Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth, Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju, Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran, and senior officials from various ministries.
The Union Budget 2025-26, scheduled to be presented on February 1, will mark Sitharaman’s eighth consecutive budget and the Modi 3.0 government’s second full budget. It is expected to outline key policies and strategies for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047.
