The budget does well on both the big Cs: Capex and consolidation
Live MintEmphasis on the two big Cs—Capex and Consolidation—was the hallmark of India’s interim budget for 2024-25. The government’s concerted focus on capex-led growth has kept the economy in good stead, aiding its emergence as the fastest-growing major economy in the world for three consecutive years by logging 7%-plus real gross domestic product growth. The budget ticked all the boxes on announcing the right mix of targeted policies for critical sectors and the government’s four focus sections—the poor, women, youth and farmers. Measures for strengthening the electronic agricultural mandi network, the focus on promoting private and public investment in post-harvest infrastructure, as well as efforts for increased value addition under the existing PM Kisan Sampada Yojana and PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises scheme are expected to generate beneficial outcomes for farmers. Its emphasis on fiscal consolidation and its capex thrust are the most noteworthy features of this year’s interim budget announcements.