Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said India’s economic fundamentals remain strong and that Budget planning has been designed to align with the long-term vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, taking into account both current priorities and uncertainties over the next five years.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said India’s economic fundamentals are robust and that Budget planning has been aligned with the long-term vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
In an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, she cited assessments by domain experts, saying the Indian economy is well placed despite global uncertainties that continue to influence decision-making.
Budget planning with long-term outlook
Sitharaman said such uncertainty had to be factored into Budget preparation, not just for the current year but also with an eye on the next five years and beyond.
“The Indian economy’s fundamentals are absolutely strong. The extent of uncertainty impacting decision-making is something we have not seen before, and we had to keep that in mind,” she said.
She added that Budget planning was guided by immediate priorities, the five-year outlook relevant to the Finance Commission, and the broader Viksit Bharat 2047 goals. “It is not just tax proposals that will take us to the 2047 goals,” Sitharaman said, underlining that policy planning extends beyond taxation measures.
Stability and reforms remain priorities
The finance minister emphasised that the government is focused on maintaining the stability of the economy while enhancing ease of doing business. She stressed the need to “extend the red carpet and remove the red tape” simultaneously, noting that calling the Budget “visionless” reflects a misunderstanding.
Sitharaman added that economic reforms will continue even beyond the Budget, signalling the government’s commitment to long-term structural reforms.
“Tax certainty provides stability for businesses,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, highlighting the government’s focus on ease of doing business, industry engagement, and the effort to “extend a red carpet while removing red tape simultaneously.”
She emphasised that reforms are not limited to budget announcements. “Reforms continue,” she said, referring to the ongoing “Reform Express” that runs throughout the year. “So it’s not just about the Budget; please also look at the performance,” she added.
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