Budget 2026: Kartavya Bhawan Or North Block? Highly Secured Location Where This Year's Budget Documents To Be Printed

Budget 2026: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget for the financial year 2026-27 on February 1, 2026. Meanwhile, the minister has been meeting representatives of states, industry leaders, economists, and other stakeholders, seeking their inputs for the upcoming budget.

Amid all this, the preparation to give the Budget 2026 a final touch will also start anytime soon. Meanwhile, as the Finance Minister's team moved to their new office---from North Block to Kartabya Bhawan-1--- in September last year, many might be wondering where this year's budget will be printed. They have confusion, whether the budget should be printed at the Finance Ministry's new address or at the old one.

As per the reports, despite a change in the Finance Ministry's address, the printing of highly confidential budget documents will continue at the old address, the press in North Block.

Finance Ministry Moved To Kartavya Bhawan

The Finance Minister and most of her team moved to the modern Central Secretariat office located in Kartavya Bhawan in September 2025.

As per information, there is no printing press at the new address yet, so the budget and related documents will be printed at a dedicated government press in North Block.

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Budget printing History

Before 1980, the budget documents were printed at Rashtrapati Bhavan, but after some confidential documents were leaked in 1950, the printing process was moved to a press on Minto Road in the national capital and later In 1980, it was shifted to North Block.

Complete Isolation for staff

The budget preparation and printing process is being kept under high security. As a result, printing staff must remain quarantined for two weeks inside the printing press located in the basement of North Block.

During this period, employees are not allowed to meet or speak with their family members, friends, or relatives. Furthermore, no one except a select few officials is allowed inside.

When Ceremony

There is a ritual of the Halwa Ceremony before the budget presentation. The event is held under the press area, marking the beginning of the printing of budget documents.

The Halwa Ceremony is expected to take place next week this year.

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Indian tradition has a tradition of offering sweets before the beginning of any auspicious work.

On this occasion, the Finance Minister herself begins the printing process by distributing Halwa to the employees and officials associated with the printing press.