Nirmala Sitharaman budget look; Whenever Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the budget, people’s attention is focused not only on the budget announcements but also on her saree. Every year, on Budget Day, she wears a saree that represents the handicraft and cultural identity of a state in India. A similar pattern was observed in the 2026 Union Budget.

Budget 2026: Honoring the tradition of Tamil Nadu

This year, Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting the budget for the ninth time. To present her ninth budget, she wore a traditional Kanjeevaram silk saree from Tamil Nadu. This purple “Katam Kanjeevaram” saree has a light golden-brown check design, which is called “Katam” in Tamil. The border of the saree is quite brown and has beautiful thread work. This year, the Tamil Nadu assembly elections are also going to be held, making this saree politically significant.

Why is the Budget Day saree so special?

Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget Divas saree is not just a fashion statement; It has also become a medium to showcase the artisans, weavers and traditional arts of the country. Every year, she wears sarees from different states to promote weavers and Indian handicrafts. That is why political analysts also pay attention to her sarees.

2025: A Madhubani painting saree from Bihar

To present the Budget 2025, she wore an off-white handloom silk saree embellished with Madhubani paintings. The saree had traditional designs like fish and lotus. The saree was gifted to her by Padma Shri awardee Dulari Devi. It took more than a month to make. The sari was dedicated to the folk art and women artists of Bihar.

Full Budget 2024: Mangalgiri Sarees of Andhra Pradesh

In 2024, Nirmala Sitharaman was seen wearing an off-white Mangalgiri saree with a bright magenta border. Mangalgiri sarees are famous for their simplicity and light cotton fabric and are a hallmark of Andhra Pradesh.

Interim Budget 2024: Kantha Kadhai of Bengal

During the interim budget, she wore a blue tsar silk saree embroidered with kantha stitch. Kantha embroidery is a traditional art of West Bengal, which weaves stories from threads.

2023: Ilkal silk and kasuti work from Karnataka

In 2023, she wore a maroon Ilkal silk saree from the Dharwad region of Karnataka. This saree had kasuti embroidery, with designs like chariot, peacock and lotus. Kasuti art also has a GI tag.

2022: Bomkai saree of Odisha

In Budget 2022, Nirmala Sitharaman wore a brown bomkai saree from Odisha. Brown is considered a symbol of strength and stability, while red represents power and energy.

2021: Telangana to Pochampally union

In 2021, she wore a red and white Pochampalli ikat saree. This saree is characterized by its geometric pattern and unique color technique, which is unique to Telangana.

2020: Yellow Silk Saree

In 2020, she wore a yellow silk saree with a blue border. Yellow is considered a symbol of hope, happiness and positivity, which was important given the difficult circumstances of the time.

2019: First Budget and Pink Mangalgiri Saree

In 2019, Nirmala Sitharaman presented her first budget. For her first Budget, she wore a pink Mangalgiri saree. That same year, he gave a new message by adopting a red ledger instead of the British-era briefcase.