Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday posed with her digital tablet as she headed to Parliament to present the interim budget.

She also posed for a picture outside the Ministry of Finance in the national capital along with her team before presenting her sixth straight budget, equalling the record of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai.

#WATCH | Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with her team before the presentation of the country’s interim Budget pic.twitter.com/hohpB7qtZi

— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2024

Ms Sitharaman will present an interim budget as the Lok Sabha elections are due in April-May. The full budget will be presented by the newly-elected government, most likely in July.

Being an interim budget, major policy changes or big announcements may not be made, but expectations are still high. 

Salaried taxpayers are hoping for a change in income tax slabs, a higher standard deduction limit and a hike in exemptions under Sections 80C and 80D.

For Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the expectation is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will bring in policies to ease regulatory procedures, reduce compliance burdens and provide greater access to loans.

Presenting her sixth straight Budget ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday asserted that the BJP-led government at the Centre has worked with an approach to development that is “all-round, all-inclusive and all-pervasive”.

Take a look:

Featuring an impressive cast, including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Sharmin Segal, the series unfolds as a mesmerising odyssey.