The Union Budget, India’s annual economic blueprint, has reinvented itself multiple times since independence. From cumbersome paper files to sleek digital platforms, here’s the complete story of this fiscal metamorphosis.
Post-1947, budgets were austere affairs. The first document, a modest 14-page speech, dealt with partition’s financial chaos. Ministers carried stacks of papers; Parliament received printed copies post-presentation. Errors were common, corrections manual.
Mid-century innovations included the 1950 introduction of the Economic Survey and color schemes for documents—red for main budget, blue for receipts. The 1978-79 budget first used computers for calculations, a quiet revolution.
The 21st century turbocharged change. P. Chidambaram’s 1990s budgets coincided with IT boom; Manmohan Singh digitized data rooms. But public-facing transformation peaked in 2017 when the briefcase was retired. Nirmala Sitharaman later carried a ‘Bahi Khata’—a cultural twist on digital delivery.
Modern budgets are tech marvels: 3D projections in Parliament, AI chatbots answering queries, blockchain for secure document sharing pilots. The ‘Budget 2023’ app boasted 1.5 million downloads. Live TV, YouTube, and regional language dubs reach every corner.
Structural shifts abound: Pre-election February timing since 2017, outcome-focused allocations, green budgeting for sustainability. Public participation via ‘MyGov’ portals invites citizen inputs.
As India eyes Viksit Bharat by 2047, expect VR budget walkthroughs and metaverse briefings. This journey from files to fiber optics underscores governance’s digital destiny.