Union Budget 2026: Nirmala Sitharaman opts for a traditional Kanjeevaram saree from Tamil Nadu

The Union Budget 2026, tabled on Sunday (February 1, 2026), is the ninth consecutive budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament. While the nation eagerly listens to her Budget speeches, all eyes are on the saree she wears on Budget day, showcasing India’s textile heritage and traditional weaves and fabrics. This year, too, her saree garnered interest.

Also read: Union Budget 2026 LIVE

Ms. Sitharaman presented the Budget wearing a magenta-coloured Kattam Kanjeevaram (Kancheepuram) silk saree from Tamil Nadu. The Kanjeevaram saree has golden-coloured kattam (checks) and a coffee-brown border with intricate threadwork. She paired it with a plain yellow-colloured, full-hand blouse.

Kanjeevaram sarees are traditional handwoven silk sarees known for their rich silk, mostly worn during special occasions, weddings etc. The weavers in Kancheepuram often draw inspiration from the rich temple architecture and motifs to design the famous sarees. The silk weaving tradition of Kancheepuram dates back several centuries and flourished under the patronage of the Chola rulers (9th–13th centuries), whose deep appreciation for the arts and fine textiles helped elevate it to prominence.

Incidentally, Tamil Nadu, alongwith Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry, and Assam, will be going to polls in the next few months.

Last year she wore a cream-coloured handloom silk saree with golden border and pairing it with red blouse. The saree with Madhubani motifs bearing images of fish, was presented to Ms. Sitharaman by 2021 Padma Shri awardee Dulari Devi, who hails from Dalit fishing community.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who presented the ninth Union Budget, has consistently chosen traditional sarees for the occasion.

During her first Budget speech in 2019, Ms. Sitharaman wore a pink-coloured Mangalgiri silk saree with gold borders.

In 2020, she picked a yellow-coloured silk saree with green-lined borders.

In 2021, she chose red and off-white Pochampally silk saree from Telangana, with ikat motifs on the pallu.

In 2022, Ms. Sitharaman was clad in a brown and maroon coloured Bomkai saree from Odisha.

In 2023, the Finance Minister wore a red silk saree with black Kasuti embroidery that originates in Karnataka.

In 2024, she wore a blue Tussar silk saree with Kantha embroidery from West Bengal while presenting the interim budget. During the Union Budget for the same year, Ms. Sitharaman wore a white-coloured silk saree that had magenta-coloured border with golden motifs.