Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday posed with her digital tablet as she headed to Parliament to present the interim budget.

She also posed for a picture outside the Ministry of Finance in the national capital along with her team before presenting her sixth straight budget, equalling the record of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai.

#WATCH | Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with her team before the presentation of the country's interim Budget pic.twitter.com/hohpB7qtZi

— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2024

Ms Sitharaman will present an interim budget as the Lok Sabha elections are due in April-May. The full budget will be presented by the newly-elected government, most likely in July.

Being an interim budget, major policy changes or big announcements may not be made, but expectations are still high. 

Salaried taxpayers are hoping for a change in income tax slabs, a higher standard deduction limit and a hike in exemptions under Sections 80C and 80D.

For Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the expectation is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will bring in policies to ease regulatory procedures, reduce compliance burdens and provide greater access to loans.