Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman calls for stronger AI safeguards, human oversight and regulatory coordination while warning against emerging systemic risks

India recorded a "remarkable growth" of 7.8 per cent in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026-27 despite global disruptions, and against all odds, remains the fastest-growing major economy in the world, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. Sitharaman on Wednesday participated in a high-level business roundtable with investors, organised by the Consulate General of India in New York in association with Bank of America, New York. Addressing investors, Sitharaman said that "despite global disruptions and against all odds, India continues to be the fastest-growing major economy in the world, recording a remarkable growth of 7.8 per cent in Q1 of FY 2026-27," the Finance Ministry said in a post on X. Sitharaman arrived here after participating in the G20 finance ministerial meeting in Asheville, North Carolina. Sitharaman added that with its strong reform orientation, India has also provided greater regulatory certainty through a range of reforms, including the Insolvency and ...

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has met World Bank President Ajay Banga and discussed further strengthening the partnership between India and the international finance institution to deepen corporate, infrastructure and municipal bond markets. Sitharaman met Banga on the sidelines of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting, in Asheville, on Tuesday. The Union Finance Minister appreciated the World Bank Group's continued engagement with India and acknowledged the speedy processing of the Development Policy Financing (DPF) of USD 1.5 billion," a Finance Ministry statement said. It said Sitharaman appreciated the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) support to MSMEs through SIDBI, which was processed in record time and has had a positive impact on the MSME sector. "The two leaders discussed further strengthening the IndiaWorld Bank Group partnership, including exploring a larger role for MIGA (Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency) in India to

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says India can maintain its growth momentum despite geopolitical uncertainties and supply-chain disruptions

The Finance Ministry will begin the exercise to prepare the Union Budget for 2027-28 from October 12 amid heightened global uncertainties and rising food and fuel prices. The Budget for the next financial year is expected to focus on the reform continuation exercise to further accelerate economic growth, along with measures to create jobs and boost domestic demand. "Pre-budget meetings chaired by Secretary (Expenditure) shall commence from October 12, 2026. Financial Advisers shall ensure that necessary details...are properly entered in UBIS (Union Budget Information System) before/latest by October 6, 2026," Budget circular 2027-28 issued by the Department of Economic Affairs said. Hard copies of the data in the specified formats should be submitted for cross-verification, it said. It will be the fourth budget of the Modi 3.0 government and the 10th straight Budget for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a rare distinction in Indian polity. The circular further said that pre-bud

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman invited global investors to set up manufacturing bases, and technology and innovation centres in India, urging them to leverage talent and opportunity to build for the world. Addressing a high-level Business Roundtable with leading investors and business leaders in Chicago on Friday, Sitharaman highlighted India's broad-based growth, reform momentum and expanding opportunities for long-term investment. Sitharaman emphasised that India's investment proposition rests not on any single sector, but on the convergence of scale, growth, talent, infrastructure, technology and sustained reform over the past decade. "The policy environment is increasingly focused on enabling businesses to invest, manufacture, innovate and expand," she said at the roundtable organised by India's Consulate General in Chicago in association with US-India Strategic Partnership Forum. The Finance Minister invited global partners to co-develop, co-produce and build for global .

The two countries are discussing a free trade agreement aimed at boosting bilateral trade, while also exploring a financial investment protection agreement

Sitharaman will chair the September 1-2 meeting ahead of the Brics Summit, with members set to explore mechanisms to cut transaction costs and boost intra-bloc trade

Finance minister pitches India as a stable investment destination as the two countries seek to conclude an investment protection agreement by the end of this year

The finance minister said the partnership could expand across infrastructure, fintech, clean energy, digital finance and capital markets, backed by Canadian institutional capital

Finance minister will hold bilateral and investor meetings in Canada and the US, and lead the Indian delegation at the G20 finance ministers' meeting in Asheville

Nirmal Purja's icy death has rekindled questions about safety, overcrowding and tourism in the mountains

Prime Ministrer Lawrence Wong on Thursday met visiting Indian ministers ahead of the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) and discussed ways to build on the progress made in bilateral ties, particularly in advanced manufacturing, digitalisation, sustainability and connectivity. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Electronics & IT Jitin Prasada are in the city-state to participate in the ministerial-level meeting. In a series of social media posts, Wong said it was a pleasure to catch up with Sitharaman, Jaishankar, Goyal and Prasada ahead of the ISMR, which began on Thursday. The leaders discussed how Singapore and India can "build on the good progress made through ISMR" and take the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership further, especially in advanced manufacturing, digitalisation, sustainability and connectivity. Wong said the discussions also covered ..

Sitharaman also asks state-owned banks to strengthen priority-sector lending and launch a month-long 'Banking for Youth' campaign from October 2

Deliberations at PSB Confluence to act as template for panel

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the government would soon constitute a high-level panel on 'Banking for Viksit Bharat'. In this year's Budget, the Finance Minister had proposed a high-level committee on 'Banking for Viksit Bharat', to comprehensively review the sector and align it with India's next phase of growth. Addressing the two-day PSB Confluence here, Sitharaman said, "We expect the announcement of the high-powered committee to look into the banking sector... soon the committee will be announced." She said the committee would give its thoughts and recommendations to the government. "I propose setting up a 'High Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat' to comprehensively review the sector and align it with India's next phase of growth, while safeguarding financial stability, inclusion and consumer protection," she had said in the Budget speech on February 1, 2026.

Sitharaman said the scheme gives young people hands-on workplace experience and industry exposure to address the gap between formal training and employers' expectations

The finance minister said government support should go beyond funding, with technologies having relevant public applications deployed quickly in districts and public facilities

The finance minister said public funds should catalyse private investment, while stable policy frameworks and multilateral institutions must help reduce investment risks

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday termed communists in India as "total cowards" while lashing out at CPI (M) member John Brittas, accusing him of spreading confusion in the country over the charging of fees on UPI payments. In her reply to the discussion on The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman took exception to Brittas walking out of the house without listening to her reply after he made allegations while moving a resolution to disapprove of the Income-Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, promulgated on June 5, 2026. Brittas alleged that the government has decided to charge fees on UPI payments due to pressure from the US, just like it was exerted on Brazil, and was going against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that "India's digital payment ecosystem had been developed as a free public good". The CPI (M) member, who was allowed to move his resolution by Deputy Chairman Harivansh after a brief commotion, had walked out wh