President Draupadi Murmu presented curd and sugar to Minister Nirmala Sitharaman before presenting the eighth Union Budget

New Delhi: In advance of her eighth Union Budget presentation, President Droupadi Murmu gave Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ‘dahi-cheeni‘ (curd and sugar), which is considered fortunate.

During the finance minister’s visit to President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, this traditional good-luck gesture was performed.

Pankaj Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Finance, was also in attendance. The president and the finance minister were seen debating the general outline of the proposed budget.

The finance minister then made her way to Parliament, from where she will depart for the Cabinet meeting, where the budget will be approved before being presented to the legislature.

On Saturday at 11 am, Nirmala Sitharaman will deliver her budget to the Lok Sabha for the eighth time in a row. The government’s economic objectives, proposed income and spending plans, tax changes, and other noteworthy announcements will all be included in the budget address.

In the meanwhile, the Economic Survey, which was presented to Parliament on Friday, predicted that India’s GDP will expand by 6.3% to 6.8% over the next fiscal year 2025–2026.

The poll, which was presented the day before the Union Budget, emphasizes the nation’s robust economic foundation, which is bolstered by private consumption, fiscal consolidation, and a steady external account.

It said that the government intends to prioritize capital goods, micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs), and research and development (R&D) in order to support long-term industrial growth.

The goals of these initiatives are to increase global competitiveness, productivity, and innovation.

“With a healthy external account, balanced fiscal consolidation, and steady private spending, the foundations of the domestic economy are still strong. Taking all of these factors into account, we anticipate growth in FY26 to be between 6.3% and 6.8%,” the statement said.

According to the poll, the seasonal drop in vegetable prices and the start of the Kharif crop are likely to reduce food inflation in Q4 FY25. In the first half of FY26, a strong Rabi crop is also anticipated to contribute to the control of food prices. On the other hand, inflation is threatened by unfavorable weather patterns and growing global food prices.