From briefcase to tablet: The evolution of India's budget presentation
What's the story
The annual presentation of the Union Budget in India has been a longstanding tradition.
For decades, the Finance Minister presented the budget document housed within a briefcase, creating a sense of anticipation and symbolism.
However, this practice has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, reflecting the country's growing embrace of technology.
As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gears up to present her eighth consecutive Union Budget on February 1, let's explore the evolution of budget presentation in India.
Colonial tradition
The colonial legacy of the budget briefcase
The word "budget" comes from the French word "bougette," which means bag or wallet.
Carrying budget documents in a leather briefcase or portfolio was a ritual passed down from the British rule.
The Indian budget briefcase was inspired by Gladstone Bag used in Britain's budget presentations.
In 1860, British budget chief William E Gladstone brought this red suitcase with Queen's monogram embossed in gold to carry his documents.
Indian adaptation
India's adaptation of the budget briefcase tradition
Unlike Britain, where a single budget briefcase is passed down from one finance minister to another, each Indian finance minister used their own briefcases/bags.
On Budget Day, it is customary for the Indian finance minister to pose with the budget bag outside Parliament.
This tradition is different from Britain where the Chancellor of the Exchequer poses with his suitcase at 11 Downing Street before delivering his speech.
Tradition shift
Transition from briefcase to bahi khata in India
In 1947, India's first finance minister RK Shanmukham Chetty had used a leather portfolio to present independent India's first budget.
From 1970 to 2019, Indian Finance Ministers carried a hardbound briefcase of different shapes and colors.
However, for the Union Budgets of 2019 and 2020, Sitharaman had replaced the colonial-era budget briefcase with a traditional bahi khata to carry the budget papers.
Bahi khata is a bound ledger book commonly used for accounting purposes.
Digital shift
India's transition to a paperless budget
In 2021, Sitharaman made a landmark move by presenting the Union Budget in a paperless manner. This digital shift was also seen in the Interim Budget 2024 and Union Budget 2024, both of which were tabled digitally.
Sitharaman carried the tablet in a traditional bahi-khata style pouch on all occasions, marking a perfect blend of tradition and modernity in India's budget presentation process.