Moneycontrol
    Moneycontrol PRO

    Nirmala Sitharaman

    Nirmala Sitharaman is an Indian politician and a member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, Sitharaman holds two important portfolios — the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs — in the Narendra Modi-led government in its second term at the Centre. She is the first full-time woman finance minister of the country. Earlier, Indira Gandhi had held finance as an additional portfolio for a short duration when she was the prime minister of India. Sitharaman has also served as the Defence Minister in PM Modi's previous cabinet. Before entering into politics, Sitharaman worked in the corporate sector after getting a master’s degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru University. Subsequently, she moved to London with her husband and joined the British Broadcasting Corporation. She returned to India in the 1990s. She has also served as a member of National Commission for Women (NCW). She was one of the founding directors of Pranava school in Hyderabad. In 2019, the Jawaharlal Nehru University conferred her the Distinguished Alumni Award. The Forbes Magazine ranked her 34th among the 100 most powerful women in the world in the same year. More

    Jump to

    • National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0 aims to garner Rs 10 lakh cr over 5 years

      The Union Budget 2025-26 announced a target for NMP 2.0 as Rs 10 lakh crore over five years (FY26-30).

    • ‘Gold price spikes because...’: FM Sitharaman explains yellow metal's rally

      Sitharaman was speaking during the press briefing after addressing the RBI Central Board on February 23

    • FM Sitharaman responds to SP MP Jaya Bachchan's 'you're a great storyteller' jibe in Rajya Sabha: 'Vocal cords not given only to you' - WATCH

      "You have given very good answers. You are a great storyteller," Bachchan said during the Parliamentary session.

    • Govt doesn’t blindly release more funds; we follow a transparent process: FM Sitharaman

      She noted that due to the SNA SPARSH portal, the government has "absolute visibility where the money goes, where it is spent...just in time, we can release the money to the states – which needs it."

    • Sold ‘Bharat Mata’ or acting in ‘India’s Interest’?: Sitharaman, Rahul war of words US trade deal

      “PM Modi will always act in India’s interest whereas Congress govt surrendered before WTO, sold poor, farmers during its regime,” FM Nirmala Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

    • FM Sitharaman rebuts states’ divisible pool concerns, highlights higher interest-free capex loans

      Finance Minister says only net tax proceeds are shareable; pegs effective capex at Rs 17.1 lakh crore

    • 'Rs 25.44 lakh crore will be transferred to states in 2026–27 as part of devolution of taxes': FM Sitharaman tells Lok Sabha

      Responding to criticism that the mandated share was not being fully passed on, Sitharaman stated, “41% it is that we have transferred to the states."

    • 'We respect General Naravane', says FM Sitharaman, hits out at Rahul for wrongly using ex-Army chief's name

      The Congress, in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament, has repeatedly accused the government of “misusing rules to heckle and silence” Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

    • Key focus of banking committee to bring 300-350 million Indians in the financial ecosystem: DFS Secretary Nagaraju

      The DFS Secretary also noted that the government will get financial bids for IDBI Bank this month. "The divestment of the government’s stake in the bank will likely happen this financial year," he said.

    • Amended insurance laws kick in from February 5

      Most provisions of Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha Act to come into force; industry sees 100% FDI reform as catalyst for capital, governance and inclusion

    • Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman sees stability, growth in Budget 2026

      In an interview with Rahul Joshi, Network 18 Editor-in-Chief, Sitharaman said the Budget was a measured approach to managing the economy with a focus on Viksit Bharat goals

    • High-level committee will decide if India needs more, better or bigger banks: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

      Sitharaman says strong balance sheets give government room to re-examine banking structure; terms of reference yet to be finalised

    • Inflation to stay within RBI’s tolerance band, says FM Sitharaman

      The RBI targets a 4 percent headline inflation rate within a tolerance band of 2 percent to 6 percent.

    • Govt’s push to AI in Budget 2026 to improve productivity in sectors, says FM Sitharaman

      The finance minister said that using AI will not displace labor but will create more job opportunities for people who are trained and skilled in AI.

    • Rising bond yields is a deterrent for many states to raise funds, says FM Sitharaman

      Going to the market is one way of raising your fund. But if the yields are high, many states go back without raising the fund, which is “a concern", said the FM.

    • Budget stresses stability amid global uncertainty, customs overhaul a signature reform: Sitharaman

      Finance minister says tax certainty, ease of doing business and continued reforms signal policy continuity in PM Modi’s third term

    • Green shoots visible; private investment will only grow, says FM Sitharaman

      We even want global businesses to come to India, says Sitharaman

    • 'Budget or aside, reforms will continue': Highlights from FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s post-Budget interview

      Sitharaman said that India must “extend the red carpet and remove the red tape at the same time for ease of doing business,” while keeping stability as the central anchor.

    • “Our party was and is in favour of strong rupee,” says FM Sitharaman

      Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals remain strong and the banks are closely monitoring the situation.

    • STT has not been done for revenue consideration; tried to deter speculation, says FM Sitharaman

      The government in the Budget presented on February 1 raised securities transaction tax on futures and options

    • High speed rail will be based on Indian technology and Indian coaches: Nirmala Sitharaman

      The Finance Minister proposed high-speed rail links between Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi and Varanasi–Siliguri.

    • Nirmala Sitharaman rejects MK Stalin’s Tamil Nadu neglected claim, calls it ‘sad commentary’

      Nirmala Sitharaman dismissed MK Stalin’s claim that Tamil Nadu has been ignored, citing major budget allocations and infrastructure projects while accusing the DMK of political insecurity.

    • FM Sitharaman says Rahul Gandhi 'shoots from his hip', questions basis of his Budget 2026 criticism

      “He is the leader of the opposition. But most often I think he shoots from his hip. He doesn’t use good foundational data to make his points,” Sitharaman said.

    • Exclusive Post-Budget Interview: FM Sitharaman in Conversation with Rahul Joshi

      Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks to Rahul Joshi, Editor-in-Chief, Network18. in an exclusive post-Budget interview, offering insights into the priorities, policy choices and key announcements of Union Budget 2026. The Finance Minister explains the government’s focus on growth, capital expenditure, tax reforms, employment generation and sector-specific initiatives. She also responds to questions on economic challenges, fiscal discipline and the roadmap ahead. Watch the full conversation for a detailed understanding of the intent and impact of Budget 2026.

    • How gold and silver are taxed post-Budget 2026

      With Budget 2026 tightening the tax treatment of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs), investors now need to reassess their gold strategies more carefully while selling gold

    Advisory Alert: It has come to our attention that certain individuals are representing themselves as affiliates of Moneycontrol and soliciting funds on the false promise of assured returns on their investments. We wish to reiterate that Moneycontrol does not solicit funds from investors and neither does it promise any assured returns. In case you are approached by anyone making such claims, please write to us at grievanceofficer@nw18.com or call on 02268882347