New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday held consultations here with representatives of trade unions and labour organisations as part of the groundwork in the run-up to the Union Budget 2026-27, which will be presented on February 1.

The meeting is part of the ministry’s annual stakeholder engagement process, where labour bodies present their concerns on wages, social security, employment generation, and worker welfare ahead of the Budget.

Similar pre-budget discussions have been held with representatives of other sectors as well in recent days, such as banking, hospitality, IT and startups, according to officials. Intensive discussions have also been held on pushing growth and creating more jobs and incomes in the agriculture, MSME and manufacturing sectors.

The sess

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