Budget focusses on investment and growth, says Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the Union Budget for FY27 has focussed on investment as a priority tool for boosting consumption, and the trajectory of fiscal deficit shows that the government’s priority is growth.

Interacting with the media after the 2026-27 Budget presentation, Sitharaman also said the volatility in gold prices is due to global uncertainty, and many



central banks are investing in gold.

“It also shows that investors do not have confidence in any one particular currency and hence the rush to buy gold,” Sitharaman said.

Talking about the hike in securities transaction tax (STT) on F&O trades, the minister said it is a “sort of deterrence so that people do not go headlong in speculative” derivative trading.