Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday kicked off the pre-Budget consultation process by meeting the country’s leading economists in New Delhi as part of preparations for the upcoming Union Budget 2026-27.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), the Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, and senior officials from the Finance Ministry. Deliberations centred on key macroeconomic priorities, fiscal strategy, and policy inputs to guide the framing of the Budget.
Sitharaman also held discussions with agriculturists and farmer organisations. These sessions are part of the government’s annual pre-Budget exercise, which seeks feedback from a wide range of stakeholders before the Budget is tabled in Parliament early next year.
Pre-Budget consultations serve as a vital step in the budget formulation process, allowing the Finance Ministry to incorporate diverse perspectives from economists, industry leaders, and sectoral experts to shape policies that support sustainable growth and fiscal stability.