2024 interim budget: Blue saree and bahi khata in her hand
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman picked a blue handloom saree for the interim budget. For her 6th budget speech, she wore tussar silk saree with kantha handiwork with 'bahi-khata'(a tablet wrapped in a red-coloured cover) in her hand. (Image source: ANI)
2023: Sitharaman wears traditional temple border red saree indicating love, commitment and strength
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman donned a traditional temple border red saree last year. Sitharaman opted for the red temple saree with black border and intricate golden work on Budget day. Red symbolizes love, commitment, strength and bravery. (Image source: Agencies)
2022: Nirmala Sitharaman dons rusty brown Bomkai saree from Odisha
In 2022, the finance minister dressed herself in a Bomkai saree, which is typically made in the Eastern Indian state of Odisha. The rusty brown tone of her saree was a combination of two colours, brown and red, that hold a deeper significance. (Image source: Agencies)
2021: Red and off-white silk Pochampally saree
Nirmala Sitharaman was seen in a red and off-white silk Pochampally sari with ikat patterns around the pallu, with a green border. Pochampally ikat is traditionally made in Bhoodan Pochampally, in Telangana, and is popularly known as the ‘silk city of India’. (Image source: Agencies)
2020: Yellow-gold silk saree for prosperity
In 2020, the finance minister wore a pristine yellow-gold silk saree with a blue border and a matching blouse. Yellow is usually associated with prosperity and is often used by Indians on auspicious occasions. Sitharaman's bright saree was seen as a mark of the vibrant and dynamic economy that the country was aiming to achieve amid economic slump due to pandemic. (Image source: Agencies)
2019: Pink, gold-bordered Mangalgiri saree with bahi khata
In 2019, Nirmala Sitharaman wore a bright pink, gold-bordered Mangalgiri saree.In her first Budget, she also for the first time had replaced briefcase with a traditional ‘bahi khata’. The Budget papers were wrapped in a silk red cloth with the national emblem embossed on top. (Image source: Agencies)