Pic/ PTI
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her eighth consecutive Budget today, carrying forward her tradition of using a digital tablet enclosed in a red 'bahi-khata' style pouch. According to PTI, this marks the continuation of a practice she introduced in 2019 when she moved away from the colonial-era Budget briefcase.
Sitharaman, India's first full-time female Finance Minister, initially replaced the traditional briefcase with a red cloth folder tied with a string and featuring the national emblem. In 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she took a further step towards modernisation by opting for a paperless Budget, using a digital tablet instead of physical documents. PTI reports that she has since continued this format, bringing the tablet in a red case to Parliament.
Ahead of the Budget presentation, Sitharaman posed for the customary photograph outside the North Block office, accompanied by her team of officials. Dressed in an elegant off-white handloom silk saree with intricate fish-themed embroidery and a golden border, she later proceeded to Rashtrapati Bhavan for a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu before heading to Parliament.
Her Budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 marks the 14th consecutive Union Budget under the Narendra Modi government, including two interim Budgets presented in election years. PTI reports that Sitharaman first assumed office as Finance Minister in 2019, presenting her maiden Budget in July of that year. She has since delivered every Budget for the government's second term.
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Before Sitharaman's reforms, successive finance ministers - including Arun Jaitley and Piyush Goyal - had adhered to the British practice of carrying the Budget documents in a leather briefcase. This tradition dated back to the 18th century when Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked to "open the Budget" while presenting financial statements. According to PTI, the British system formalised the use of a red suitcase featuring the Queen's monogram, a style replicated by many Indian finance ministers over the decades.
The tradition of presenting the Union Budget at 11 am, instead of the earlier 5 pm slot, was another break from colonial legacy. This change was first introduced by Yashwant Sinha during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, a move that has since been upheld by successive administrations.
PTI reports that Sitharaman has previously explained her decision to use a bahi-khata instead of a briefcase, stating it was time to "move on from the British hangover" and embrace a format that resonated with Indian tradition. Her shift to a digital tablet further streamlined Budget presentations, aligning with the government's push for digital transformation.
Over the years, various finance ministers have chosen different styles for carrying the Budget documents. India's first finance minister, R K Shanmukham Chetty, used a leather portfolio in 1947. TT Krishnamachari carried a file bag in the 1950s, while former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru used a black briefcase. Manmohan Singh, during his landmark 1991 economic liberalisation Budget, also opted for a black leather bag. PTI reports that Pranab Mukherjee, who served as Finance Minister under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, carried a red briefcase similar to Britain's Gladstone case. Piyush Goyal was the last finance minister to use a briefcase, presenting the interim Budget in 2019 with a red case.
The customary photo of the Finance Minister holding the Budget bag has been a long-standing tradition, both in India and the United Kingdom. In Britain, the Chancellor of the Exchequer poses with the Budget briefcase outside 11 Downing Street before delivering the financial statement.
As per PTI, Sitharaman's adoption of the bahi-khata and digital tablet is viewed as part of the government's efforts to modernise while retaining cultural identity. With her eighth Budget presentation today, she continues to uphold this distinct approach.
