Budget 2025: Nirmala Sitharaman wears Madhubani saree; Finance Minister pays tribute to Dalit artist from Bihar

Budget 2025: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has decided to wear a saree as a tribute to Madhubani Art and Padma Shri Dulari Devi, a Mithila art expert from Bihar. Dulari Devi represents the marginalised Dalit Mallaah caste.

During a visit to Madhubani, FM Nirmala Sitharaman met artist Dulari Devi at the Mithila Art Institute during a credit outreach event. They had a friendly discussion about Madhubani art in Bihar. Dulari Devi gifted her a saree and requested her to wear it on Budget Day.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s saree choices during Budget presentations have showcased her deep appreciation for Indian handwoven textiles and crafts.

For Budget 2024, she wore a white silk Mangalagiri saree with a magenta border. It aligned with the financial support for Andhra Pradesh. In the Interim Budget 2024, she opted for a blue tussar silk saree with kantha embroidery, a craft famous in West Bengal.

In Budget 2023, Sitharaman wore a red temple saree with a black border and golden designs. It is a style often used for religious ceremonies. Budget 2022 saw her in a rusty brown Bomkai saree from Odisha, known for its simple yet intricate designs.

During Budget 2021, she chose a red and off-white Pochampally saree from Hyderabad. In Budget 2020, she wore a yellow-gold silk saree with a blue border, symbolising prosperity and hope amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Her first Budget in 2019 was memorable as she wore a pink Mangalagiri saree with a gold border.

Budget 2025

The Union Budget 2025 will be unveiled on February 1 at 11 AM. Budget expectations include capex growth and income tax relief for salaried individuals. Businesses eagerly await government measures to boost infrastructure, ease of doing business and artificial intelligence (AI) development.

The Budget session began on January 31, when she presented the Economic Survey. This marks Nirmala Sitharaman’s eighth Budget presentation in Lok Sabha.