1 FEB 2023

Budget Day Sarees of Nirmala Sitharaman

AYAAN PAUL CHOWDHURY

Fifth time's the charm

Nirmala Sitharaman is now the 6th Finance Minister to present the Budget 5 times in a row. 2023 marks her 5th straight year since 2019.

Photo: Getty Images

a colourful budget history

Through her five-year streak, the Union Finance Minister has donned an array of elegant sarees during her Budget speeches.

Photo: Getty Images

2019 - pink mangalgiri

For her first Budget announcement, Nirmala Sitharaman wore a bright-pink Mangalgiri saree with a gold border.

Photo: Getty Images

2020 - auspicious yellow

For her sophomore Budget, Sitharaman sported a bright yellow saree with a cyan border, an auspicious colour.

Photo: India Today Archive

2021 - ikat pochampally

Next, Sitharaman donned an Ikat-patterned, red and white Pochampally saree made of sico - a combination of silk and cotton.

Photo: India Today Archive

2022 - brown bomkai

Last year, Sitharaman wore a rusty-brown Bomkai saree with patterned maroon borders, indigenous to Odisha.

Photo: India Today Archive

2023 - A red temple

For Budget 2023, Sitharaman donned a red saree with temple border and intricate detailing in gold, coordinated with the striking-red budget tablet.

Photo: Getty Images

THE bahi khata

Sitharaman is also credited with replacing the colonial budget briefcase with a traditional bahi-khata to carry the Budget speech.

Photo: Getty Images

paperless budget

She is also the first Union Minister to present a paperless Budget in 2021, and has continued to do so ever since.

Photo: Getty Images

women presenters

In 2019, Sitharaman became the second woman to have presented the Budget after Indira Gandhi, who did so in 1970. 

Photo: Getty Images

longest budget speech

The 5-time presenter holds the record for delivering the longest speech, at 2 hours 42 minutes, while presenting the 2020 Budget. Her 2023 speech was 1 hour 25 minutes long.

Photo: Getty Images