Union Budget 2026 : From Morarji Desai to Nirmala Sitharaman -- Who has presented the most number of Budgets in India?

With the Union Budget 2026 scheduled to be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, it’s an opportune moment to look back at the leaders who have famously taken charge of India’s finances at the podium. While the Budget is traditionally presented by the Finance Minister, history shows that in extraordinary circumstances, Prime Ministers themselves have stepped in, leaving a mark on the country’s fiscal history.

The first Prime Minister to present the Union Budget was Jawaharlal Nehru in 1958. The unusual step came after Finance Minister T. T. Krishnamachari resigned over the fallout of the Mundhra scandal. Nehru took the reins of the Finance Ministry and presented the Budget, ensuring stability in a time of political and financial turbulence.

Morarji Desai, who later became Prime Minister, holds the record for presenting the most Budgets. Between 1959 and 1963, he presented budgets consecutively, including the interim budget of 1962. He returned for the budgets of 1967, 1968, and 1969, along with the interim 1967 budget, making a total of 10 Budgets (8 annual + 2 interim). Desai’s long stint at the podium reflects both his expertise in finance and the political trust placed in him during a time of government reshuffles.

Other Prime Ministers who have presented the Union Budget include Indira Gandhi, who took charge in 1970 after Desai resigned; Rajiv Gandhi, who briefly assumed the finance portfolio in 1987 following a cabinet reshuffle; and Manmohan Singh, who as Finance Minister under P. V. Narasimha Rao presented the landmark 1991 Budget, introducing reforms that liberalised and globalised the Indian economy.

Today, as Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to present Union Budget 2026, she joins the league of leaders who have shaped India’s financial policy from the podium. From crisis management and political upheavals to bold economic reforms, these moments in history highlight the unique occasions when India’s top leaders personally stepped into the role of guiding the nation’s finances.