Budget 2024: FM Nirmala Sitharaman, Draped in White & Magenta Silk Saree, Poses With Tablet in Red Sleeve

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday posed with a tablet in a red sleeve ahead of presenting the Union Budget 2024-25 to Parliament, keeping up the tradition of ditching the traditional briefcase for ‘bahi-khata’ and ultimately a paperless document stored digitally.

Draped in a white silk saree with magenta border, the finance minister posed for the traditional ‘briefcase’ picture outside her office, along with her team of officials, before heading to meet the President.

With the tablet carefully kept inside the red cover with a golden-coloured national emblem embossed on it, Parliament will be Sitharaman’s next destination after the call on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Sitharaman, India’s first full-time woman finance minister, had in July 2019 ditched the colonial legacy of a Budget briefcase for the traditional ‘bahi-khata’ to carry Union Budget papers. She used the same in the following year, and in a pandemic-hit 2021, she swapped traditional papers with a digital tablet for carrying her speech and other Budget documents. That tradition continued on Tuesday.

Her Budget for the fiscal beginning April 2024 (FY2024-25) is the Modi government’s 13th straight Budget since 2014 (including two interim Budgets presented ahead of general elections in 2019 and 2024).

Sitharaman was appointed the finance minister when Narendra Modi swept to power again in the 2019 election and presented her maiden Budget on July 5, 2019. She used a red cloth folder enclosed with a string and emblazoned with the national emblem to carry Budget documents. In February this year, she presented another interim budget. The Budget for 2024-25 is Sitharaman’s seventh straight Budget, a record.

Before Sitharaman, a long-standing colonial tradition in connection with the Budget presentation was broken during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government when the then finance minister Yashwant Sinha presented the Budget at 11 am rather than at the traditional time of 5pm. Since then, all the governments have been presenting the Budget at 11am.

Soon after presenting her maiden Budget in 2019, Sitharaman had said that the bahi-khata was a break from the colonial legacy. “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 had said.

SITHARAMAN’S SARTORIAL LEGACY

For her first Budget session, the finance minister chose a pink Mangalgiri silk saree with gold borders.

In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sitharaman wore a yellow silk saree with a blue border to make a symbolic statement. Yellow is considered an auspicious colour in Hindu culture that symbolises hope and prosperity — bringing optimism during the dark phase.

For Budget 2021, the FM wore a Pochampally silk saree from Telangana with an Ikat design, sending a message of support to local artisans and weavers.

In 2022, the finance minister further promoted regional craftsmanship and art by wearing a brown Bomkai saree with maroon and gold borders in a homage to Odisha’s handloom legacy.

It was Karnataka’s turn in 2023 as Sitharaman wore a vibrant red silk saree with black temple motif borders showcasing the Kasuti embroidery from the Dharwad region.

In February 2024, while presenting the Interim Budget, Nirmala Sitharaman opted for a blue-cream coloured tussar silk saree with kantha handiwork.

Stay informed with our comprehensive coverage of Union Budget 2024. Get the latest on new income tax slab rates for AY 2024-25 in Income Tax Slabs Budget 2024 LIVE Updates . Track the impact of Budget 2024 on the stock market in Stock Market Budget Day 2024 LIVE Updates.