Union Budget 2019 Live Updates: Use Aadhar for IT returns; petrol, diesel to cost more

The Budget to be presented on Friday is expected to boost spending at the cost of short-term slippage in fiscal deficit targets as she lays down the Modi 2.0 government's road map for the economy and the nation in the next five years.

Some believe she may give relief to the common man by raising personal income tax threshold for certain categories while at the same time, upping spending on agriculture, healthcare and social sectors.

Also, there is expected to be a big push for infrastructure spending including on roads and railways to drive growth which had slowed to a five-year low of 5.8 per cent in the first three months of 2019 -- well below China's 6.4 per cent. The slowdown is also reflected in high-frequency numbers such as IIP and automobile sales numbers.

It will be Sitharaman's first post-Budget meeting with the RBI's central board of directors. She took over as India's first full-time woman finance minister on May 31 after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won the second term in general elections.

Nirmala Sitharaman