Nirmala Sitharaman birthday: From Balakot to tax reforms, interesting facts about India's first full-time FM

Nirmala Sitharaman, born on August 18, 1959, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, turned 66 years old today. Currently serving as India’s Finance Minister, she is the first woman to hold the post on a full-time basis. Her father, Narayan Sitharaman, worked with the Indian Railways. She completed her graduation in Economics from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College in Tiruchirappalli and earned a master’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 1984. She has also written a PhD dissertation on the Indo-European textile trade. Under her leadership, India has become the world’s fifth-largest economy in nominal GDP terms.

Major GST reforms expected

On Independence Day, the Finance Ministry announced a significant simplification of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure. The proposal aims to remove the 12% and 28% tax slabs, retaining only the 5% and 18% slabs. Government sources stated that 99% of products currently under the 12% slab are proposed to move to the 5% slab, and 90% of items in the 28% slab are proposed to shift to the 18% slab. The move is expected to substantially ease the tax burden on the middle class. The Group of Ministers (GoM) will now study the proposal, and the GST Council is likely to consider it in a meeting scheduled for September–October.

She has also actively pursued disinvestment and privatization to increase government revenue, with the sale of the formerly government-owned carrier Air India being a prominent example. This strategy involves reducing or selling the government’s ownership stakes in state-run companies to improve fiscal health and boost efficiency.

First full-time woman Finance Minister of India

Sitharaman took over the Finance Ministry in 2019 after serving as Defence Minister. Before her, only Indira Gandhi had held the finance portfolio, and that too for a brief period between 1970 and 1971 while also serving as Prime Minister. As Finance Minister, Sitharaman has overseen key policy shifts and steered the economy through a range of global and domestic challenges.

She introduced the Income-Tax Bill, 2025, in Parliament to reform the country’s taxation framework. The bill proposes to replace the existing Income-Tax Act of 1961, with the aim of simplifying tax laws for ease of compliance. It also introduces regulatory provisions for virtual digital assets such as cryptocurrency, reflecting the growing significance of digital financial instruments in the economy.

First full time female defence minister

From September 2017 to May 2019, she served as India’s Defence Minister, becoming the first woman appointed full time to the role. Her tenure was marked by a significant military response to cross-border terrorism. In February 2019, the Indian Air Force conducted an airstrike on Balakot, Pakistan, following a suicide bombing in Pulwama. Her appointment was seen as a milestone in the evolution of India’s defence leadership.

Birthday wishes from top leaders

On her birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote:
"Birthday greetings to Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Ji. Her efforts are playing a vital role in realising our dream of a Viksit and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Praying for her long and healthy life."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said:
"Birthday greetings to the Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. Blessed with great energy and a zeal to bring positive change in the lives of our people, she has made remarkable contributions across various sectors. Praying for her good health and long life."

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari added:
"Extending my heartfelt birthday wishes to the Union Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Ji. May this occasion bring joy and the year ahead be filled with health and prosperity."

Professional beginnings in London
Before entering public life, Sitharaman lived in London with her husband, Parakala Prabhakar. During this period, she worked briefly as a saleswoman at Habitat, a home décor store, where media reports noted she recorded the highest sales during the Christmas season. She later joined PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as Senior Manager (Research and Analysis) and was also associated with the BBC for a short duration.

Return to India and political rise
Sitharaman returned to India in 1991. Under the leadership of Ravi Shankar Prasad, she became a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Her political growth accelerated after 2006, during Nitin Gadkari’s tenure as party president. Before joining the Union cabinet, she served as Minister of State (Independent charge) for Commerce and Industry and also handled finance and corporate affairs portfolios in a junior ministerial role.

Family background
She married Parakala Prabhakar in 1986, whom she met during her college years at JNU. Prabhakar comes from a family aligned with the Congress party; his father was a minister in the Andhra Pradesh Congress government, and his mother was a Congress MLA.

Work for social causes and personal interests
After moving back to India, Sitharaman chose not to raise her child in London and settled in Hyderabad. There, she established a school for underprivileged children along with a policy research centre. From 2003 to 2005, she served on the National Commission for Women, focusing on women’s empowerment.

Sitharaman is fond of classical music and maintains a collection of classical songs. She is also a devotee of Lord Krishna.