Budget 2026 Expectations Highlights: PM Modi says Economic Survey offers guide for informed policymaking; all eyes now on FM Sitharaman’s speech

Budget 2026 Expectations Highlights:Ahead of Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has tabled the annual Economic Survey 2025-2026 in the Parliament on Thursday. The Economic Survey has projected the real GDP growth in the range of 6.8-7.2%. The Budget session of Parliament began on January 28, 2026 and FM Sitharaman’s Budget 2026 speech is scheduled for February 1, 2026. The Economic Survey wad tabled at around 12 PM. The annual economic document from the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance is an important roadmap for economic reforms and usually sets the tone for the Union Budget. The Economic Survey is released under the name of the Chief Economic Advisor. At present, India’s CEA is V. Anantha Nageswaran. The Budget Economic Survey will give the GDP growth outlook, and shed light on the health of the Indian economy, along with its growth prospects in the upcoming financial year. Track TOI’s Live Coverage on the latest from the Economic Survey 2025-26 and the top expectations from Budget 2026: