Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, dressed in a magenta saree, is set to present the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament on Sunday (February 1) with a digital tablet wrapped in a traditional 'bahi-khata' style pouch, continuing the paperless format adopted by the Narendra Modi government.
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Sitharaman first replaced the colonial-era budget briefcase with the bahi-khata in 2019 and shifted to using a digital tablet in 2021. The upcoming presentation will mark her ninth consecutive Union Budget.
What is a bahi-khata?
The bahi-khata is a red pouch used to carry the digital tablet containing Budget documents. It features the golden national emblem and symbolises a departure from the leather briefcase tradition, which dates back to 18th-century Britain and was long followed in India.
By adopting the bahi-khata, Sitharaman sought to break away from the colonial legacy and embrace an indigenous symbol. After presenting her first Budget in 2019, she said it was time to move on from the "British hangover" and adopt something distinctly Indian, adding that the bahi-khata was also more convenient to carry.
Govt likely to present Rs 54.1 lakh crore budget for FY27
Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present a Rs 54.1 lakh crore Union Budget for FY2026-27, registering a year-on-year growth of 7.9 per cent, according to a report by Sunidhi Securities & Finance Limited. The report highlighted that the size of the Union Budget, measured by Total Expenditure (TE) as a percentage of GDP, is the clearest indicator of the government's fiscal intent.
After averaging 14.8 per cent of GDP during FY23-FY25, Total Expenditure was budgeted at 14.2 per cent of GDP, or Rs 50.65 lakh crore, in the Budget Estimates (BE) for FY26. However, factoring in weaker nominal GDP growth and lower revenue buoyancy, the report estimated Revised Estimates (RE) for FY26 Total Expenditure at around 14.0 per cent of GDP, or Rs 50.15 lakh crore.
