Budget 2026: Meet Nirmala Sitharaman's Elite Team Behind the 9th Union Budget

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her 9th Union Budget on February 1, 2026.
• A core team of seven senior officers from the Ministry of Finance is responsible for preparing the budget amidst global uncertainties and strong GDP growth.
• Anuradha Thakur, Economic Affairs Secretary, leads resource allocation and macroeconomic roadmap, overseeing all budget documents.
• Arvind Srivastava, Revenue Secretary, handles tax proposals including direct and indirect taxes, bringing prior budget experience.
• Vumlunmang Vualnam (Expenditure Secretary), M. Nagaraju (Financial Services Secretary), Arunish Chawla (DIPAM Secretary), K. Moses Chalai (Public Enterprises Secretary), and V. Anantha Nageswaran (Chief Economic Advisor) complete the key team members, each with specific critical roles in budget formulation.

Why It Matters: A dedicated team of seven finance ministry officials is crucial to crafting Nirmala Sitharaman's 9th Union Budget.