India, Feb. 1 -- As finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to present the Union Budget 2026 at 11am on Sunday in Parliament, the annual exercise once again draws attention to the many lesser-known moments and traditions that have shaped India's Budget history over the decades.

India's first Budget after Independence was presented in 1947 by then finance minister RK Shanmukham Chetty. The task came at a challenging time, as the newly independent nation was grappling with economic uncertainty and strong financial headwinds while laying the foundations of its fiscal framework.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman holds the record for delivering the longest Budget speech in India's parliamentary history. In 2020, her Budget address las...