India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present Union Budget 2026 today, on February 1, Sunday at 11 am in the Lok Sabha. While all the spotlight will be on Nirmala Sitharaman, there are officials who plays key role in shaping the Union Budget 2026-2027.
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present Union Budget 2026 today, on February 1, Sunday at 11 am in the Lok Sabha. She will make history presenting her ninth Budget, nearing the record of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who holds the record for the most budgets presented, i.e 10. Sitharaman also holds the record for the longest Budget speech in India’s history. She spoke for 2hrs and 42mins, while presenting the Union Budget for the 2020-21 financial year on February 1, 2020.
While all the spotlight will be on Nirmala Sitharaman, there are officials who plays key role in shaping the Union Budget 2026-2027.
Who are the key officials?
February 1, 2026
Anuradha Thakur, Economic Affairs Secretary
Anuradha Thakur is a 1994-batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IAS officer. She is the current Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), assuming office on July 1, 2025. She is chief architect of Union Budget 2026-27, which is her first Budget after been appointed at that position.
Arvind Shrivastava, Revenue Secretary
Arvind Shrivastav is a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre. He took charge as the Revenue Secretary of India on May 1, 2025, succeeding Manoj Govil in the Finance Ministry. He has previously served as Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). He holds a B.Tech. degree, an M.A. from Karnataka University, and an M.Sc. from the University of London. In the budget, Arvind Shrivastava is supervising direct taxes, such as income tax and corporate tax, and indirect taxes, including GST and customs duties. He is also responsible for tax proposals that make up Part B of the Budget Speech.
Vumlunmang Vualnam, Expenditure Secretary
Vumlunmang Vualnam, is a 1992-batch IAS officer from the Manipur cadre. He holds a B.Com. in Accountancy and an M.A. in Public Policy from O.P. Jindal Global University. He currently serves as Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance (MoF). He is overseeing the government expenditure, subsidy and central schemes.
M. Nagaraju, Financial Services Secretary
Nagaraju Maddirala, is a 1993 batch IAS officer who currently serves as Secretary, Dept. of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. His oversees the financial health of public sector banks, insurance companies, and pension systems.
Arunish Chawla, Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM)
Dr. Arunish Chawla, an IAS officer of the 1992 Bihar cadre, holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Economics from the London School of Economics. He currently serves as Secretary at the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). DIPAM oversees the government’s disinvestment and privatisation strategy.
K. Moses Chalai, Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises
K Moses Chalai, is an IAS officer of the 1990 batch from the Manipur cadre, He currently serves as Secretary in the Department of Public Enterprises under the Ministry of Finance. He has pursued B.A. and M.A. in Political Science from Delhi University. He oversees capital expenditure plans of select CPSEs and ensures efficient use of budget allocations.
V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser
V. Anantha Nageswaran is the Chief Economic Adviser to Government of India. He has been aiding the FM with the budget since his appointment to the post in January 2022. His term is set to end next year, in March 2027. He prepares the Economic Survey as a Chief Economic Adviser. He has pursued his Bachelor’s degree from American College Madurai, MBA from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and PhD from University of Mssachusetts Amherst.
