New Delhi : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s wardrobe choices on Budget Day have become almost as talked about as the economic announcements she makes, with each of her nine consecutive Union Budget presentations marked by a distinct saree that highlights India’s diverse handloom traditions.
On February 1, as she presented the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament, Sitharaman wore a handwoven Kanjivaram silk saree in a rich shade of purple. The traditional Kattam pattern featured light golden-brown checks and was bordered in coffee brown with intricate thread work, a tribute to Tamil Nadu’s age-old weaving legacy.
Her sartorial choices over the years have showcased a range of regional crafts. For the 2025–26 Budget, she chose an off-white handloom silk saree embellished with fish-themed Madhubani embroidery and a gold border honouring the folk art of Bihar.
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In 2024, the finance minister favoured a white silk saree with purple and gold accents. During the interim Budget ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, she wore a blue tussar silk saree with Kantha embroidery.
Her Budget Day ensembles in earlier years have included a red and black temple-border saree with Kasuti threadwork in 2023, a rust brown Bomkai in 2022, a red and off-white Pochampally ikat in 2021, a bright yellow-gold silk in 2020, and a pink Mangalgiri with a gold border for her first Budget in 2019.
Sitharaman’s annual budget attire has not only drawn public interest but also served as a subtle platform to celebrate India’s rich textile traditions.