New Delhi: The government on Monday formally kicked off the final stage of preparations for the Union Budget 2026-27 with the customary Halwa ceremony at the Budget Press in North Block, New Delhi.
The ceremony was held in the presence of Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, and was attended by secretaries of various departments under the Ministry of Finance and senior officials involved in the budget-making exercise.
The Halwa ceremony traditionally precedes the ‘lock-in’ period, during which officials associated with the preparation and printing of budget documents remain sequestered until the budget is presented in Parliament. The Union Budget for 2026-27 is slated to be tabled on February 1, 2026.
As part of the event, Sitharaman reviewed the readiness of the Budget Press and extended her best wishes to officials engaged in the process, underscoring the importance of confidentiality and precision in the final stages of budget formulation.
In line with the government’s push for digital accessibility, all budget-related documents—including the Annual Financial Statement, Demand for Grants and the Finance Bill—will be made available on the Union Budget Mobile App and the official budget website after the completion of the finance minister’s budget speech in Parliament. The app will be accessible in both English and Hindi on Android and iOS platforms.
The presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27 is expected to outline the government’s fiscal roadmap amid slowing global growth concerns, domestic reform priorities and expectations around capital expenditure, taxation and welfare spending.