Mumbai: As the Union Budget 2026 unfolds, the channel brings with it 25 years of experience in decoding the Budget—breaking down numbers, intent, and impact with unmatched clarity and authority. Built on formidable editorial prowess and the strongest newsroom presence in markets & business news, CNBC-TV18 has long shaped how India understands finance and policy. Now setting the nation’s Budget agenda with its flagship programming under the theme ‘The Reform Rush’ with sharp analysis, credible voices from markets, business & policy, and real-time insights, CNBC-TV18 stands tall as India’s go-to destination for Union Budget 2026.
With Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to present her ninth Union Budget on February 1, 2026, the emphasis has shifted from incremental fiscal adjustments to structural reforms and long-term competitiveness. Through the theme, ‘The Reform Rush’, CNBC-TV18 will decode the government’s policy agenda at a time when India continues to stand tall in an increasingly uncertain and fragmented global economy, amid geopolitical tensions, trade realignments, and shifting global supply chains.
At the core of CNBC-TV18’s pre-Budget programming are The Budget Makers, bringing viewers direct perspectives from those who shape and execute fiscal policy. The line-up includes V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor; Anuradha Thakur, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs; M Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services; V Vualnam, Expenditure Secretary; Arunish Chawla, Secretary, DIPAM; and Arvind Shrivastava, Revenue Secretary.
This is complemented by voices from India’s economic and corporate leadership, including Anant Goenka, Vice Chairman, RPG Group and President, FICCI; Rajeev Memani; CII; Amitabh Kant; and Anish Shah, Group CEO & MD, Mahindra & Mahindra. CNBC-TV18 will present an array of curated programming designed to decode the Budget from multiple lenses. ‘The Tax Tangle’ will break down direct and indirect tax changes, compliance issues, and structural reforms, featuring Dinesh Kanabar, Ashok Wadhwa, Sunil Badala, and Vivek Johri.
‘Budget Market Masters’ will bring together some of India’s most respected market voices—Ramesh Damani, Raamdeo Agrawal, Samir Arora, Mahesh Nandurkar, Nilesh Shah (Kotak AMC) among many others to offer sharp perspectives on markets, capital flows, valuations, and reform-led opportunities. ‘The CNBC-TV18 Budget Bell’, broadcast live from the BSE, will feature insights from Vikas Khemani, Sundararaman Ramamurthy, N Jayakumar, and Rahul Jain (Nuvama Wealth) to capture real-time reactions as the Budget unfolds. A parallel edition of ‘The CNBC-TV18 Budget Bell’, live from the NSE, will feature Ashishkumar Chauhan, Nilesh Shah (Kotak AMC), and Gautam Chhaochharia as policy announcements translate into trading cues.
CNBC-TV18’s editorial depth will be anchored by its Budget Editors, with Ramesh Damani, Samir Arora, and Sajjid Chinoy leading macro and market conversations. This will be complemented by senior former policymakers, including Debasish Panda, former IRDAI Chief; Giridhar Aramane, former Defence Secretary; Tarun Bajaj, former Revenue Secretary; and Vivek Johri, former CBIC Chief, alongside Dinesh Kanabar and Ashok Wadhwa. ‘Voices from India Inc’ will bring industry-led perspectives to the forefront, with participation from Anish Shah of Mahindra & Mahindra, Rajeev Anand of IndusInd Bank, Keki Mistry, Vice Chairman & CEO, HDFC Ltd; Baba Kalyani, Chairman & MD, Bharat Forge Ltd; Arundhati Bhattacharya, President & CEO, Salesforce; and Sanjeev Krishan, Chairman, PwC India..
CNBC-TV18’s Budget programming will examine the key areas expected to define Budget 2026, including tax and indirect tax reforms with a continued push towards GST simplification, rationalised compliance, and the integration of the New Income Tax Act. Customs and trade policy reforms, infrastructure and capital expenditure, energy transition, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, MSME support, export competitiveness, and FDI flows will remain central to the reform agenda.
Adding depth to its pre-Budget engagement, CNBC-TV18 Budget Vision 2026 was hosted as a premier pre-Budget townhall in New Delhi on January 30, 2026. The townhall brought together India’s most influential CEOs, industry association leaders, economists, and policy thinkers for a forward-looking conversation on what the nation expects from Budget 2026 and what it must deliver to sustain the growth momentum. Through power-packed panel discussions, fireside chats, and an interactive viewer Q&A, the townhall captured expert insights ahead of Budget Day.
The distinguished speakers at CNBC-TV18 Budget Vision 2026 included Akhilesh Ranjan, Former Member, Central Board of Direct Taxes; Anant Goenka, President, FICCI and Vice Chairman, RPG Group; Atanu Chakraborty, Former Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs and Part-Time Chairman, HDFC Bank; Giridhar Aramane, Former Defence Secretary of India; Gokul Chaudhri, President–Tax, Deloitte South Asia; Naina Lal Kidwai, Past President, FICCI and Chair, India Sanitation Coalition (ISC); Pratik Jain, Partner, Price Waterhouse & Co. LLP; Sameer Gupta, National Tax Leader, EY India; Subhash Chandra Garg, Former Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs; Subhrakant Panda, MD, Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd. and Former President, FICCI; and Vivek Johri, Former Chairman, CBIC and Senior Advisor, KPMG.
Speaking on CNBC-TV18’s Budget focus, Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18 said, “This Budget comes at a point where policy choices have a direct bearing on households, businesses, and investors alike. The reform conversation has moved beyond intent to execution, and what matters now is how those decisions translate into real outcomes for consumers and the economy. CNBC-TV18’s ‘The Reform Rush’ is designed to help viewers cut through the noise-by breaking down complex fiscal choices, explaining the trade-offs involved, and clearly mapping what the Budget means for savings, spending, jobs, and long-term wealth creation. Our focus is on context, clarity, and credibility, so viewers are equipped to make informed decisions in a fast-changing economic environment.”
Smriti Mehra, CEO, English & Business News, Network18, added, “The Union Budget is one of the largest and most valuable moments for business news consumption in India. For Budget 2026, CNBC-TV18 is bringing together unmatched scale, premium audiences, and a fully integrated TV and digital ecosystem to deliver impact and provide maximum advertiser engagement for our partners and viewers alike. Our focus is on driving engagement at scale, offering brands a high-attention environment, and reinforcing CNBC-TV18’s position as the country’s most trusted and influential business news platform during the single biggest economic event of the year. I thank all our clients, and partners — SBI Bank, SBI Life, Tata Capital, Royal Ranthambore, and IDBI Bank for their support and trust, as CNBC-TV18 delivers unmatched scale, sustained visibility, and the country’s most comprehensive Union Budget coverage””
With ‘The Reform Rush’ CNBC-TV18 will bring viewers deep, data driven analysis, on ground reporting, and conversations with policymakers, economists and industry leaders tracking how Budget 2026, could redefine India’s growth trajectory in an increasingly complex global environment.
CNBC-TV18 Union Budget 2026 – The Reform Rush is co-presented by SBI and Co-powered by SBI Life, TATA Capital, Royal Ranthambore and IDBI Bank.
Tune to watch the FM’s Budget speech and get the complete analysis of the Union Budget announcement 2026, on 1st Feb, only on CNBC-TV18, CNBCTV18.com and youtube.com/cnbctv18
