India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chose a white checked saree with magenta and gold border as her chosen attire to present the Union Budget 2024 on Tuesday. The finance minister's handloom saree collection is truly enviable.
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. The finance minister, accompanied by her entourage of officials, posed for the customary "briefcase" photo outside her office while wearing a white silk saree with a magenta border before leaving for her meeting with the president.
Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt Nirmala Sitharaman along with Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan before presenting the Union Budget. The… pic.twitter.com/y386kgOyUG
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn)After meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan, Sitharaman proceeded to Parliament, where she would carefully place the tablet with the national insignia engraved in a golden hue. 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.
A look at her sarees over the years
The finance minister selected a pink, gold-bordered Mangalgiri silk saree for her first Budget session.
Sitharaman made a symbolic statement in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 outbreak by donning a yellow silk saree adorned with a blue border. In Hindu tradition, yellow is seen as an auspicious hue that represents wealth and hope, providing hope throughout difficult times.
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 paid tribute to Odisha's handloom heritage by donning a brown Bomkai saree with borders of maroon and gold, further promoting local workmanship and art. In 2023, it was Karnataka's time. Sitharaman displayed the Dharwad region's Kasuti embroidery in a vivid red silk saree with black temple design borders.
In February 2024, while presenting the Interim Budget, Nirmala Sitharaman opted for a blue-cream coloured tussar silk saree with kantha handiwork.