ET NOW has announced comprehensive, all-day coverage of the Union Budget 2026, promising viewers sharp insights, live reactions and expert analysis on what the government’s fiscal roadmap means for the economy, markets, industries and households.

As per a press release, the channel will go live from 7:00 am onwards on Sunday, February 1, setting the context ahead of the Budget with a focus on key expectations and big numbers to watch. This will be followed by Finance Minister’s Budget speech live at 11:00 am, and an in-depth decoding of major announcements, policy measures and fiscal priorities through the day.

A key highlight of the coverage will be the ET NOW Think Tank, led by veteran economist Swaminathan Aiyar, who has tracked more than 50 Union Budgets since 1969. Aiyar will break down the fine print behind the numbers, focusing on policies, risks and long-term implications. The panel will also feature Rohington Sidhwa, Partner at Deloitte; George Joseph of ASK Investment Managers; former Union Finance Secretary R Gopalan; former SBI Chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara; and Abhishek Pareek of Waaree Energies.

ET NOW Budget Editor Radhika Gupta, MD and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, will join the programming from 8:00 am onwards, bringing an investor-focused perspective and setting the tone ahead of the market reaction once the Budget numbers are announced.

Market veterans will play a central role in analysing the Budget’s impact on equities and investments. The line-up includes Nilesh Shah of Envision Capital, A Balasubramanian of ABSL AMC, Vijay Kedia, Porinju Veliyath of Equity Intelligence, Sunil Singhania of Abakkus Asset Manager, Saurabh Mukherjea of Marcellus Investment Managers, Madhusudan Kela, Timothy Moe of Goldman Sachs, Mark Mobius of Mobius Emerging Opportunities Fund, Jonathan Garner of Morgan Stanley, among several others.

Voices from India Inc will also weigh in on sectoral implications and corporate sentiment. Industry leaders such as CII president Rajiv Memani, CII president-designate R Mukundan, Piruz Khambatta, chairman of CII’s National Committee on Taxation, FICCI president Anant Goenka, FICCI past president Sandip Somany, and Naina Lal Kidwai, past president of FICCI and chairperson of Rothschild & Co. (India), will share their views on how the Budget shapes business confidence.

Personal finance will be in focus through a special edition of The Money Show, which will decode the Budget’s impact on individuals across income groups. Experts including Dhirendra Kumar of Value Research, Vishal Kapoor of Bandhan AMC and Tarun Garg of Deloitte will offer practical insights for households.

The day will culminate with a special 9 pm broadcast titled ‘The Budget and You’, featuring reactions from people across age groups and professions, including employees, youth, senior citizens and homemakers, as they reflect on how the Budget affects their everyday lives.

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