Budgeting in style: When Sitharaman ditched the briefcase & carried a tablet in a red 'bahi-khata'

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her eighth consecutive Union Budget today, while also continuing a unique tradition she had started seven years ago.

She will deliver her Budget using a digital tablet enclosed in a traditional 'bahi-khata' style pouch, marking a departure from the colonial legacy of carrying a leather briefcase.

Sitharaman, India’s first full-time woman Finance Minister, has made a significant statement with her choice of presentation style.


“Why did I not use a leather bag to carry budget documents? I thought it is high time we move on from the British hangover, to do something on our own. And well, easier for me to carry too,” she stated after her maiden Budget presentation in 2019.

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This year, too, she continues the tradition she began during the pandemic-affected 2021, where she replaced traditional paper documents with a digital tablet.

Traditional attire and modern presentation

Draped in an off-white handloom silk saree adorned with fish-themed embroidery, which looked inspired from Madhubani art, and a golden border, Sitharaman posed for the customary photo outside her North Block office alongside her team of officials.

The tablet, securely placed in a red cover featuring the golden national emblem, accompanied her as she met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan before proceeding to Parliament.

Her forthcoming Budget for the fiscal year starting April 2025 (FY2025-26) will be the 14th consecutive Budget under the Narendra Modi government, which has been in power since 2014.

This includes two interim Budgets presented ahead of the general elections in 2019 and 2024. Sitharaman was appointed as finance minister following Modi's re-election in 2019 and has since established her unique style of Budget presentation.

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The shift from the traditional briefcase had sparked varied reactions. Former finance minister P. Chidambaram had said, “A Congress finance minister in future will bring an iPad,” in response to Sitharaman’s initial choice.

The tradition of using a briefcase had been a long-standing aspect of Budget presentations in India, mirroring the British legacy where the term "Budget" is derived from the French word 'bougette', meaning leather briefcase.

As she prepares to unveil her latest fiscal strategy, all eyes will be on her to see how she will navigate the economic landscape ahead.