FM Nirmala Sitharaman meets leading economists ahead of FY27 Budget

Ahead of the Union Budget 2026-27, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday met leading economists to elicit their views on the forthcoming Budget.

Those present at the meeting include Sajjid Chinoy, Neelkanth Misra, Dharmakirti Joshi, Ridham Desai, Sonal Varma and Indira Rajaraman.

"Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt @nsitharaman chairs the first Pre-Budget Consultation with leading economists in connection with the upcoming Union Budget 2026-27, in New Delhi, today," the Ministry of Finance said in a social media post on X.

"The meeting was also attended by Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) @FinMinIndia; and Chief Economic Adviser, Government of India, besides senior officers from the DEA," it added.

Sitharaman is likely to present the Budget on February 1.

She will present the Budget in the backdrop of geopolitical uncertainties and the steep US tariff of 50 per cent imposed on shipments from India.

The Budget for the next fiscal year will have to address issues of boosting demand, job creation and putting the economy on a sustained 8 per cent-plus growth path. The government estimates the Indian economy to grow in the range of 6.3-6.8 per cent during the current financial year.