From Briefcase to Bahi-Khata to Tab: How Budget Presentation Has Changed Over the Years

New Delhi: Union Budget 2024 will be presented in Parliament today, by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a paperless format.

Budget Presentation has gone through a transformation - from a briefcase to a bahi-khaata to online. Re all about it…

Evolution of Budget Presentation

first budget of Independent India was presented was presented by RK Shanmukham Chetty, nation's first Finance Minister, on November 26, 1947 and it was carried in a briefcase.

Years later, it was Nirmala Sitharaman who broke that trition and began carrying budget in form of a ‘bahi-khata’. 

It was incumbent Finance Minister who n changed budget presentation to paperless format.

First Budget Presented in a Briefcase

budget being carried in a briefcase, was a trition which was started by Britishers and later opted by India. 

very first Budget in India was presented during British era, by a Scottish economist who worked with East India Company - James Wilson. red briefcase was used with monogram of Queen.

RK Shanmukham Chetty presented first Budget in India, and carried it in a briefcase.

‘Bahi-Khata’ Introduced by Nirmala Sitharaman

Breaking years-old trition, in her first budget presentation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman decided to do away with briefcase and introduced ‘bahi-khata’.

A tritional register of accounts and finances in India, ‘bahi-khata’ was a symbol of embracing Indian tritions and get rid of colonial way of presenting budget in a briefcase.

In 2019 and 2020, FM Nirmala Sitharaman presented Budget in form of a ‘bahi-khata’. 

When Budget Presentation Went Online

After two years of presenting budget in form of a ‘bahi-khata’, Nirmala Sitharaman brought about anor huge change in budget presentation.

Finance Minister decided to go ‘online’, to stand by country's efforts towards a ‘Digital India’.

Budget being presented in a paperless format has been of great convenience for public as it is easily available and is much more hassle-free.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will make history today by presenting her seventh consecutive Budget for 2024-25, surpassing former Prime Minister Morarji Desai's record of six budgets.