PM Modi to meet economists today as Budget 2026 preparations enter final phase

As preparations for the Union Budget gather pace, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold a key round of consultations today with leading economists and sectoral experts, seeking inputs ahead of Budget 2026, a senior government official told news agency PTI.

Scheduled to happen at 11 am, the meeting forms part of the government’s ongoing pre-Budget exercise, aimed at weighing expert assessments before final economic decisions are taken for the next financial year.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present the Union Budget for 2026 on February 1, with the policy roadmap likely to span a broad range of economic priorities.

Senior officials from NITI Aayog, including Vice Chairman Suman Bery and CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, along with other members of the Aayog, are also slated to attend the meeting.

According to officials, Tuesday’s interaction will give economists and sector specialists an opportunity to share their views on the current economic situation and outline priorities for the year ahead.

The Budget will be presented against a challenging global backdrop, with geopolitical uncertainties and a steep 50 per cent US tariff on shipments from India adding to the pressure on policymakers.

Earlier this month, the Union government also opened the consultation process to the public, inviting suggestions for Budget 2026-27. On December 20, MyGovIndia posted on X, encouraging citizens to contribute their ideas and feedback.

“Building the Budget with Public Insight. Share your suggestions for Union Budget 2026-27 and contribute to the policies that promote inclusive growth and National development,” the post said, inviting submissions through the MyGov platform.

In parallel, Finance Minister Sitharaman has already completed several rounds of pre-Budget consultations in New Delhi. These began with discussions involving leading economists, followed by interactions with farmer organisations and agricultural economists.

Subsequent sessions brought together stakeholders from MSMEs, capital markets, startups, manufacturing, banking and financial services, information technology, tourism and hospitality, and later trade unions and labour groups, as part of a broad-based effort to shape the forthcoming Budget.

(With inputs from PTI)