With just a few hours to go for the Union Budget 2026, all eyes are on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She will present her ninth consecutive budget on February 1 and people are waiting to see all the major announcements. But beyond taxes, slabs and economic policies, Budget speeches sometimes take a creative turn. Over the years, Finance Ministers have also delivered poetry and shayaris to their speeches. These moments caught widespread attention online for their motivating and emotional tone. Even in a speech full of numbers, a few well-chosen words could really stand out.
Back in 2015, Arun Jaitley used a shayari that got everyone talking. He said: “Kuchh to gul khilaye hain, kuchh abhi khilaane hain, Par baagh mein ab bhi kaante kuchh puraane hain (We’ve bloomed some flowers, more to bloom, but some old thorns remain in the garden).” The lines were a subtle jab at the previous government while showing his administration’s progress. News sites, social media and WhatsApp were full of clips from the speech.
In the 2016 Budget, Jaitley went a step further with an Urdu couplet about steering the nation through tough economic times. He recited: “Kashti chalaane walon ne jab haar kar di patwar hamein, Lehar lehar toofan mile aur mauj mauj manjdhaar hamein. Phir bhi dikhaya hai hamne aur phir yeh dikha denge sabko (When the boatmen gave up the helm in defeat, we faced waves of storms and currents; yet we’ve shown the way before and will again).”
This couplet grabbed everyone’s attention for its resilient tone. YouTube videos of the recitation got thousands of views and people talked about it all over social media. Many shared it with captions about not giving up. The lines created a picture that went beyond just numbers. It showed that poetry could actually bring a formal speech to life.
Sitharaman’s first full Budget in 2019 continued this tradition. She quoted Urdu poet Manzoor Hashmi: “Yaqin ho to koi rasta nikalta hai, hawa ki ot bhi le kar chirag jalta hai (If you have faith, a path emerges; even a lamp burns bright sheltered from the wind).” The shayari was aimed at highlighting India’s $5 trillion economy vision. Clips of the recitation went viral on Twitter, YouTube and WhatsApp. Many people liked the optimism and motivation in her words. It was also seen as a way to inspire confidence in the economy.
In the 2020 Budget, Sitharaman went a bit regional with Kashmiri poet Pandit Dina Nath Kaul ‘Nadim’s lines from Myon Vatan. She recited, “Hamara vatan, khilte hue Shalimar Bagh jaisa, Hamara vatan, Dal jheel mein khilte hue kamal jaisa, Nau jawanon ke garam khoon jaisa, Mera vatan, tera vatan, hamara vatan, Duniya ka sabse pyara vatan (Our nation like blooming Shalimar gardens, Dal Lake lotuses, youth’s hot blood—the world’s dearest homeland).” The recitation came just after the Article 370 abrogation and trended heavily on social media especially for its emotional and patriotic tone.
From 2021 to 2025, Sitharaman kept the poetic tradition alive though the style changed. There were fewer Urdu shayaris and more inspirational lines from Indian poets like Rabindranath Tagore. These were shared online especially for their relevance during post-COVID recovery and growth plans. Even if they didn’t go viral like the 2019-2020 speeches, people noticed them in news clips and social media threads.
For the 2021 Budget, she began with Rabindranath Tagore’s famous line: “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.” It captured the mood of hope during post-pandemic recovery. Clips and screenshots circulated on Twitter and news portals. Readers shared it as a positive message amid uncertainty. During 2022-2024, there were no widely viral shayaris though Sitharaman included a few inspirational lines here and there.
The 2025 Budget opened with Telugu poet Gurujada Apparao’s line from Desamunu Preminchumanna. She narrated, “Desamante matti kaadoyi, desamante manushuloyi (Country is not just mud and soil; country means people).” Sitharaman also cited Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar on the “five jewels” of a good country: health, wealth, agriculture, productivity and strong defence. These lines were delivered on January 31 last year and shared across social media platforms like X and YouTube.
This year as well, it is believed that Sitharaman shall include a few poetic lines or quotes in her speech. People will be curious to see if she surprises the House with something inspiring, maybe from a famous poet or a regional literary gem. It has become a part of her speeches that many look forward to. The Budget will be presented at 11 AM IST on Sunday, February 1.
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