Union Budget 2026: Nirmala Sitharaman's speech lasts 85 minutes

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her 9th consecutive Budget in Lok Sabha on Sunday.

With an emphasis on 'kartvya or duties', the finance minister said that the government will ensure the dividends of growth reach each and every person in the country.

Presenting the budget on Sunday— for the first time ever— Sitharaman's speech lasted only for 1 hour and 25 minutes, cementing her 2020 record of delivering the longest budget speech ever.

The finance minister spoke for 2 hours and 40 minutes in 2020, making it one of her longest speech.

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Sitharaman's budget speech duration over the years

* 2019 -- 2:17 hours -- 10,965 words

* 2020 -- 2:40 hours -- 13,349 words

* 2021 -- 1:50 hours -- 10,594 words

* 2022 -- 1:32 hours -- 9,064 words

* 2023 -- 1:27 hours -- 8,167 words

* 2024 -- 56 min (Feb) 5,271 words

* 2024 -- 1:22 hours (July) -- 7,904 words

* 2025 -- 1:14 hours -- around 7,900 words

Sitharaman said that government's Kartavya is to accelerate and sustain economic growth, fulfil aspirations of people and emphasised that the Sankalp is to focus on poor, underprivileged and disadvantaged.