CNBC-TV18 is gearing up to deliver comprehensive coverage of the Union Budget 2026 under the theme ‘The Reform Rush’, reinforcing its position as a trusted destination for decoding India’s most important economic policy event.

Drawing on over 25 years of experience in Budget reporting, the channel aims to break down numbers, intent and impact with clarity, depth and authority as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to present her ninth Union Budget on February 1, 2026.

According to a press release issued by the network, the theme ‘The Reform Rush’ reflects a shift in focus from incremental fiscal tweaks to structural reforms and long-term competitiveness. CNBC-TV18’s programming will examine how India is navigating global headwinds, geopolitical uncertainty and trade realignments, while sustaining growth momentum in an increasingly fragmented global economy.

At the heart of its pre-Budget coverage is ‘The Budget Makers’, featuring direct conversations with senior policymakers involved in shaping fiscal policy. The line-up includes Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran, Anuradha Thakur, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, M Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, V Vualnam, Expenditure Secretary, Arunish Chawla, Secretary, DIPAM, and Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava.

The coverage will also bring in perspectives from India Inc and the markets, with voices such as Anant Goenka, Vice Chairman, RPG Group and President, FICCI, Anish Shah, Group CEO and MD, Mahindra & Mahindra, Rajeev Memani, and Amitabh Kant. Special shows like ‘The Tax Tangle’ will decode direct and indirect tax changes, compliance issues and structural reforms, while ‘Budget Market Masters’ will feature market veterans including Ramesh Damani, Raamdeo Agrawal, Samir Arora and Nilesh Shah, offering insights on capital flows, valuations and reform-led opportunities.

On Budget Day, ‘The CNBC-TV18 Budget Bell’ will go live from both the BSE and NSE, capturing real-time market reactions as policy announcements translate into trading cues. The channel’s editorial depth will be anchored by its Budget Editors and senior former policymakers, alongside industry leaders through ‘Voices from India Inc’, bringing sectoral and corporate perspectives to the fore.

Ahead of Budget Day, CNBC-TV18 also hosted ‘Budget Vision 2026’, a pre-Budget townhall in New Delhi on January 30, bringing together leading CEOs, economists and policymakers for a forward-looking discussion on expectations from Budget 2026. The event featured panel discussions, fireside chats and interactive sessions focused on sustaining growth and accelerating reforms.

Commenting on the coverage, Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18, said the reform conversation has moved beyond intent to execution, making it crucial to explain how fiscal decisions translate into real outcomes for households, businesses and investors. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that the Union Budget remains one of the most significant moments for business news consumption, and CNBC-TV18 is bringing together scale, premium audiences and an integrated TV-digital ecosystem to deliver maximum impact for viewers and partners.

With ‘The Reform Rush’, CNBC-TV18 aims to offer data-driven analysis, on-ground reporting and informed conversations that track how Union Budget 2026 could shape India’s growth trajectory in a complex global environment. The coverage will air across CNBC-TV18, CNBCTV18.com and the channel’s YouTube platform on February 1.