Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday chaired the 10th round of Pre-Budget Consultations with representatives of trade unions and labour organisations in New Delhi, marking a key step in preparations for the Union Budget 2026–27.
Labour Bodies Present Key Demands
During the meeting, labour groups submitted their recommendations on wages, employment generation, social security reforms, and worker welfare.
The Finance Ministry confirmed the engagement in a post on X, noting the presence of Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, senior officials from the Ministries of Finance and Labour, and Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran.
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Part of Wider Consultation Process
The labour-sector meeting is among several interactions the ministry is conducting with stakeholders. So far, nine consultations have been held with economists, farmers, tourism & hospitality leaders, IT industry, BFSI sector, manufacturing, startups, capital markets, and MSMEs.
Sitharaman is set to present her ninth consecutive Budget, likely on February 1, amid global uncertainties and steep U.S. tariffs of 50% imposed on Indian exports.
IT Sector Consultations Focus on AI Disruptions
On Wednesday, Sitharaman held consultations with top IT industry leaders as the USD 280 billion sector faces AI-driven transformation, global headwinds, and rising H-1B visa costs.
Senior executives including Google India’s Preeti Lobana, Cognizant India CMD Rajesh Varrier, Nasscom Chairperson Sindhu Gangadharan, and SAP Labs India MD Sindhu Gangadharan attended the session.
Discussions reportedly centred around building domestic computing capacity and scaling AI-related skilling initiatives.
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Startups Seek ESOP Taxation Reform
A day earlier, the Finance Minister met founders and top executives of prominent Indian startups.
BoAt co-founder Aman Gupta shared that he highlighted ESOP taxation simplification to boost wealth creation and innovation across teams.
“For the first time, startups were invited at this platform… a big moment for the ecosystem,” Gupta wrote on LinkedIn.
