New Delhi – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her eighth consecutive Budget on Saturday, continuing her tradition of delivering the financial statement using a digital tablet enclosed in a traditional 'bahi-khata' style pouch.
Sitharaman, India's first full-time woman Finance Minister, broke away from the colonial-era practice of carrying a Budget briefcase in July 2019, opting instead for the indigenous 'bahi-khata' to hold the Union Budget documents. She has maintained this practice in subsequent years, replacing physical documents with a digital tablet during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, a custom that continues this year.
Dressed in an elegant off-white handloom silk saree with fish-themed embroidery and a golden border, Sitharaman posed for the traditional 'briefcase' photo outside her North Block office, accompanied by her team of officials, before proceeding to meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Following this customary meeting, she will head to Parliament to present the Budget for the fiscal year 2025-26.
Her presentation marks the 14th consecutive Budget under the Narendra Modi-led government since 2014, including two interim Budgets before the general elections in 2019 and 2024. Appointed Finance Minister in 2019, Sitharaman delivered her maiden Budget on July 5, 2019, using a red cloth folder secured with a string and emblazoned with the national emblem, in contrast to the leather briefcases used by her predecessors.
Breaking Colonial-Era Budget Traditions
The tradition of carrying a Budget briefcase traces its origins to Britain. The term 'Budget' derives from the French word 'bougette,' meaning leather briefcase. In the 18th century, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked to 'open the budget' while presenting the annual financial statement. The practice was formally established in 1860 when British Chancellor William E. Gladstone carried Budget documents in a red suitcase adorned with the Queen’s monogram.
India followed suit, with different finance ministers carrying briefcases of varying colors, including red, black, tan, and brown. The country’s first Finance Minister, R.K. Shanmukham Chetty, used a leather portfolio while presenting the inaugural Budget in 1947. Over the decades, T.T. Krishnamachari carried a file bag, Jawaharlal Nehru a black briefcase, and Manmohan Singh, during the landmark 1991 economic liberalization Budget, a black bag. Pranab Mukherjee, during his tenure as Finance Minister under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, used a red briefcase similar to Britain's Gladstone case. Piyush Goyal, who presented the interim Budget in 2019, was the last Finance Minister to use a briefcase, carrying a red one to Parliament.
A significant shift occurred in 1999 when then-Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha broke another long-standing tradition by presenting the Budget at 11 a.m. instead of the conventional 5 p.m. time slot, a practice that has continued since.
A Modern Approach with an Indigenous Touch
Sitharaman has consistently championed the move away from colonial-era customs. Shortly after presenting her first Budget in 2019, she remarked, "Why did I not use a leather bag to carry budget documents? I thought it is high time we move on from the British hangover, to do something on our own. And well, easier for me to carry too."
The transition to a digital tablet within a 'bahi-khata' cover in 2021 marked another milestone in modernizing the Budget presentation while retaining a distinct Indian touch. Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had once quipped that a future Congress finance minister would use an iPad. Sitharaman, however, preempted this shift, incorporating a digital format in 2021 and continuing the practice in subsequent years.
As she presents the Union Budget for FY 2025-26, Sitharaman's approach reflects a blend of modernization and cultural symbolism, setting a precedent in the evolution of India's Budget traditions.
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