Budget 2026: All about the Halwa ceremony, its importance, history and more

Budget 2026 | Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s presented her ninth consecutive Budget in the Parliament on February 1 2026. The Finance Minister emphasised that the government has consistently chosen reform over rhetoric and addressed global uncertainty.

What is the Halwa ceremony?

A few days before the Budget presentation, the Ministry of Finance hosts a ritual called the Halwa ceremony. The ceremony marks the point where the Budget preparation enters its final and most confidential phase. The halwa ceremony involves the preparation of halwa in a large vessel inside the North Block and serving it to officials and the staff involved in the budget's preparation.

'Lock-in' period after the halwa ceremony

Once this ceremony is completed, no major changes are made to the Budget proposals unless necessary. Officials involved in drafting the Budget enter a 'lock-in' period, remaining confined within the North Block premises, cut off from the external world, and prohibited from using mobile phones to ensure that Budget-sensitive information such as tax proposals, fiscal deficit targets, and sector-wise allocations is not leaked before Budget Day.

Religious significance of the halwa ceremony

The halwa ceremony has been a part of India's budget process for decades due to the belief that beginning an important task with something sweet is believed to bring positive outcomes. Serving the sweet dish to everyone symbolises equality and collective responsibility, and that policymaking is as much about people as it is about numbers.

While the halwa ceremony does not move markets by itself, speculations among investors and observers intensify from this point, and the countdown to official clarity starts from this point. Budget documents are sent for printing after receiving approval from the Prime Minister, and the Intelligence Bureau conducts surprise inspections of the printing press in the ministry's basement to further safeguard the process.

The forthcoming Budget Presentation will mark Nirmala Sitharaman's ninth budget, exceeding the record established by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who delivered five annual budgets and one interim budget from 1959 to 1964 while serving as finance minister. Similar to the last several complete Union Budgets, Budget 2026 will likewise be presented in a digital format.