FM Sitharaman concludes consultations with stakeholders, all eyes now on NDA 3.0's first Budget

This will be Sitharaman's seventh Budget since she assumed the role of finance minister.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has wrapped up consultations with various stakeholders, including representatives of industry and social sectors, ahead of the Budget preparation on July 23.

Over the last few days, Sitharaman and other ministry officials held a series of interactions with stakeholders, including trade unions & farmer associations, to formulate a roadmap for the various sectors and classes in the first Budget of the NDA 3.0 government.

Various reports said that Sitharaman has also received an extensive wish list from BJP allies, Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP and Nitish Kumar-led JD(U).

In a press release, the finance ministry said that over 120 invitees across 10 stakeholder groups, including experts and representatives from farmer associations & agriculture economists; trade unions; education & health sector; employment & skilling; MSME; trade & services; industry; economists; financial sector & capital markets; as well as, infrastructure, energy and urban sector, participated in the meetings.

Besides Sitharaman, minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary; finance secretary and secretary of expenditure, TV Somanathan; economic affairs secretary, Ajay Seth, DIPAM secretary, Tuhin K Pandey, financial services secretary Vivek Joshi and revenue secretary, Sanjay Malhotra were among others who attended the meeting.

In the course of the consultations, Sitharaman expressed gratitude to the participants for sharing valuable suggestions and assured experts and representatives that their suggestions would be carefully examined and considered while preparing the Union Budget 2024-25.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Saturday that the Budget Session will be held between July 22 and August 12 and Sitharaman will present the Budget on July 23.

This will be Sitharaman's seventh Budget since she assumed the role of finance minister.

It would also be the first full budget of Modi 3.0 which is going to set the path for Vikshit Bharat (developed India) by 2047.

Last month, President Droupadi Murmu, while delivering her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, had said that many historic steps and major economic decisions will be taken in the upcoming budget session.

In her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament since the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, the President said, "This budget will be an effective document of the government's far-reaching policies and futuristic vision".

"Along with major economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this Budget," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)