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In 2019, when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came back to power for a second consecutive term, Nirmala Sitharaman became the first full-time woman finance minister almost after five decades of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi holding the post as additional charge during 1969-70.

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1 NIRMALA SITHARAMAN
Union Finance Minister

With the BJP back in power for a third term in 2024, Sitharaman has made a record of tabling eight consecutive Budgets, surpassing the six presented by former finance minister Morarji Desai between 1959 and 1964. But Sitharaman's tenure as finance minister transcends the mere tally of the number of Budgets or the longevity of the term. She has managed to estab-

lish a distinct identity for the Ministry of Finance—a ministry that has its ear to the ground, and swiftly addresses the needs of the economy based on feedback from stakeholders.

So, whether it the reduction in the corporate tax rate, the implementation of the Covid stimulus in 2020, or the ongoing consumption blues in the economy, the rule book has been the same—listen to concerns, design requisite policy interventions, and implement them without delay.

Even while juggling with one macro inferno after another, the ministry under Sitharaman kept the process of disinvestment—Air India being one of the key achievements—and reforms alive over the past six years, ensuring the country

Sitharaman has tabled a record eight consecutive Budgets remains on course towards its goal of a $5-trillion economy. Prompt policy action amid emerging macroeconomic situations touching a wide spectrum of stakeholders—corporates, MSMEs, states, and people at large—remained the key reason behind her No. 1 spot in Fortune India's Most Powerful Women in Business list between 2021 and 2024. It's no different this year.