The Union Budget (Union Budget 2026) is an account of the country's economic goals and priorities for the upcoming financial year. Over time, budget speeches have evolved to address the changing needs and challenges of the country. All eyes are now on Nirmala Sitharaman, who has been at the helm of the Finance Ministry since 2019 and is expected to present her ninth budget on February 1st. But before that, let's look at who has delivered the longest budget speech in India's history, both in terms of minutes and words.
Who delivered the longest budget speech?
Nirmala Sitharaman holds the record for the longest budget speech in India's history. In 2020, she delivered a budget speech that lasted 2 hours and 42 minutes in Parliament. This 2020 speech was even longer than her 2019 record, when she delivered a budget speech of 2 hours and 17 minutes.
It's worth noting that she completed the interim budget speech presented in 2024 in just 56 minutes, which was her shortest budget speech since assuming office. In 2025, Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech lasted 1 hour and 17 minutes.
Longest speech in terms of words
In 1991, the then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh delivered a budget speech of 18,650 words. This remains the longest budget speech in terms of word count. Following him, in 2018, Arun Jaitley delivered a speech of 18,604 words during his budget presentation, making it the second-longest speech in terms of word count.
Budget likely on February 1st
According to media reports, the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has given the green light to the key dates for the budget session. Accordingly, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present the Union Budget 2026-27 on Sunday, February 1st. However, no official announcement has been made by the government yet.
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