Sitharaman's 85-Min Blitz: Ninth Budget's Lightning Speed Secret

Presenting the Budget for the first time on a Sunday, Sitharaman extended her record as India’s longest-serving continuous Finance Minister at over six years and eight months. The concise delivery focused on stability, manufacturing scale-up, infrastructure, and inclusive growth, reflecting a pragmatic approach to sustaining India’s economic momentum.

Key highlights

• Precise Duration: Speech lasted 1 hour 25 minutes (85 minutes), falling between 2025’s shortest (74 minutes) and 2024’s 85 minutes.
• Historic Milestone: Ninth consecutive Budget, surpassing predecessors; PM Modi hailed it as a “moment of pride” in parliamentary history.
• Past Benchmarks: Longest ever in 2020 (2h 39m, cut short by health issues); 2019 debut at 2h 8m; recent ones trending shorter for efficiency.
• Content Focus: Six key areas including manufacturing boost, MSME support, infrastructure push, and fiscal deficit at 4.4% for FY26, 4.3% for FY27.
• Style Evolution: Part B elevated for broader strategy; emphasized public capex rising to ₹12.2 lakh crore in FY27 from ₹11.2 lakh crore.
• Context: Delivered amid global volatility; Economic Survey 2025-26 tabled earlier, setting stage for measured reforms.

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Sources: Times of India, News18, Instagram (TOI), Deccan Herald, NDTV, Upstox.