Union Budget 2025: Parliament’s longest budget speeches

Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the longest budget speech ever recorded in the nation’s history. Her speech lasted two hours and 42 minutes and took place in 2020 from 11 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. She announced significant updates such as LIC’s IPO and a new income tax structure. However, she could not finish the speech because she became unwell. Om Birla, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, read the last two paragraphs on her behalf.

In 2020, her prior record of two hours and 17 minutes for a speech was surpassed. In 2022, Sitharaman presented a more concise budget speech that spanned an hour and thirty minutes.

Nirmala Sitharaman’s 2020 Union Budget speech marked her second lengthiest budget presentation since she became Finance Minister in 2019. Her inaugural budget address in 2019 lasted two hours and 17 minutes, establishing a new record. This budget introduced pre-filing of income tax returns and benefits for MSMEs.