Parliament’s Budget Session begins 28 January; Union Budget to be presented on Sunday, 1 February

What’s starting today

India’s Parliament begins the Budget Session today, 28 January 2026, opening the most important legislative window of the year for financial business and key policy debates. The government has scheduled the session in two phases, with proceedings running from 28 January to 2 April 2026, including a recess between the phases.

The first phase is slated to conclude on 13 February 2026, and Parliament is expected to reconvene for the second phase on 9 March 2026. The schedule has been cleared through the usual constitutional process, with both Houses summoned on the President’s approval after the government’s recommendation.

Budget on a Sunday: 1 February 2026

The centrepiece of the session will be the Union Budget for 2026–27, which is set to be presented on Sunday, 1 February 2026. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed the date, making it a notable first in the sense that the Budget will be tabled on a Sunday.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to table the Budget, continuing her run of annual presentations. The lead-up to Budget day will include customary parliamentary business around the President’s address, followed by debates and voting procedures that typically shape the final contours of the government’s spending plan.

Why it matters now

This Budget Session will be watched closely for signals on taxation, welfare allocations, infrastructure spending, and the broader direction of fiscal policy for 2026–27—especially as households and businesses weigh the outlook for inflation, jobs, and investment.

With multiple breaks and phases built into the calendar, the government and opposition are expected to use the session to push, contest, and refine legislation beyond the Budget itself, including economic and governance measures that often travel alongside annual fiscal announcements.