Economic Survey 2025 Live: AI impact on labour will be globally felt but problem magnified for India, warns Economic Survey

Amid concerns that investments from the private sector have been lagging due to concerns around poor demand, Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran said that Indian industry can itself create the demand conditions it is looking for by hiring and paying more. Read More

The Indian Railways achieved a growth of 8 per cent in passenger traffic and 5.2 per cent in freight revenue in FY24, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25 that was tabled in Parliament on Friday.

"Indian Railways (IR) is the fourth largest network in the world. Passenger traffic originating in IR achieved a growth of 8 per cent over the previous year. Revenue earning freight in FY24 achieved a growth of 5.2 per cent," the survey said, adding that in view of the rising passenger traffic, the government is taking various steps to upgrade passenger amenities.

The survey highlighted the government's focus on digitalisation in the Indian Railways and said, "E-ticketing has touched 86 per cent in the reserved sector as of October 2024. Ticketing through digital means in the unreserved sector has increased from 28 per cent at the beginning of the current financial year to around 33 per cent in October 2024." "IR has also transformed the refund process, enabling refunds in eligible cases within 24 hours in around 98 per cent of cases. Dynamic QR code-based payment has been enabled across all the counters. The passenger reservation system is being redeveloped using cloud-native technologies," the survey said.

According to the survey, the new application will have features like high scalability, high performance, high availability, high level of security, ease of operations and high agility.

Akshay Lakhanpal, CEO- Space Matrix, said, "As the Union Budget approaches, we are eager to see policies that enhance the sustainability and health of workplaces across India. With employees spending a significant amount of time at work, it’s crucial that these environments support both well-being and productivity. The growing presence of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India is driving demand for expanded office infrastructure, creating more jobs, and strengthening India’s position on the global stage. However, this growth also places pressure on resources and operational efficiency. To address this, special tax incentives for green building certifications, advanced HVAC systems, and funding for smart technology to optimize energy and space utilization will be essential in transforming Indian workplaces into world-class, sustainable environments that set new benchmarks in office design."

Akhilesh Tuteja, Partner and Head, Clients and Markets and Head Technology, Media and Telecommunications KPMG in India said that India's aspiration to transform into a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047 signifies our determination to enlarge the manufacturing sector's contribution to the GDP, further solidifying India as a global powerhouse. The strides in promoting domestic manufacturing, through schemes such as FAME India, PLI for Auto Components and SPMEPCI, embody our commitment to aligning growth with sustainable practices, exemplified by the vision to decarbonize road transportation. However, navigating this journey warrants the successful integration of labour and technology, two elements when balanced, amplify each other's potential. The concept of 'Augmented Intelligence' resonates profoundly in this context. By merging human and machine capabilities, India can enhance human potential and job efficiency, culminating in a societal benefit. The domestic technology landscape looks promising as the country makes a shift from a service provider to a global R&D hub with tech exports in the domestic market expanding by 5.9 per cent, exceeding USD54 billion in FY24.

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII on Economic Survey stated that the Survey makes a comprehensive, in-depth and far-reaching analysis of current economic developments which would be critical for well informed, evidence-based and futuristic policymaking for a new India. The Survey rightly acknowledges the role of the private sector in nation building and is forthright in its call for lowering the cost of business through deregulation and ‘getting out of the way of business’ to accelerate growth and create jobs amidst a challenging global environment.

Going forward, CII shares the outlook articulated by the Survey on India’s growth prospects by projecting a GDP growth rate in the range of 6.3-6.8 per cent for 2025-26 versus 6.4 per cent in the current year on account of fragile external milieu and current state of domestic demand. The Survey mentions that inflation is on a credible downtrend and current account deficit is within the comfort level, which are very positive takeaways.

The Survey displays a futuristic vision by exhorting the nation to focus on key priority areas namely attracting foreign investment for emerging as a competitive and innovative economy; strengthening domestic supply side capability and resilience, taking a calibrated approach towards climate change and energy transition, focus on education and skilling of the youth to match global technology advancements , raising productivity of the primary sector and above all improving governance while creating trust by launching ease of doing business 2.0. This would fast track India’s dream of realising the long-term vision for Viksit Bharat, stated Mr Banerjee.

The Survey also aptly delves into the subject of AI which is an opportunity as well as a challenge. India needs to harness the power of AI while ensuring that policies are in place to support workers by upskilling, updating educational curriculum and creating new job opportunities in the area of AI applications, said Mr Banerjee.

The Economic Survey 2024-25 called upon the Union Health Ministry to "urgently" define nutrient thresholds for sugars, salt, and saturated fats to regulate advertising.

It also urged the central ministry to adopt warning front-of-pack labels (FOPL), and impose stricter marketing restrictions on unhealthy foods, especially targeting children under-18.

Dwelling on the impact of ultra-processed food (UPFs) on physical health, the survey tabled in Parliament stressed that making consumers conscious about what they eat, its ingredients and associated side-effects is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

he Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled in Parliament on Thursday suggested that while the expansion of rail network has come down by approximately 10 per cent, the production of rolling stock such as wagons and locomotives has increased as compared to the April-November period of previous financial year 2023-24.

The Survey showed that in FY24 (April-Nov), while 2,282 km of rail network was commissioned, it came down to 2,031 km for a similar period in FY25.

However, production of wagons jumped from 22,042 to 26,148 and locomotives from 968 to 1042 for the said period.

In Brazil and China, more than 50% of urban residents have convenient access to mass transit. However, in India, only 37% of urban residents have easy access to public transportation, according to the Economic Survey released on the eve of the Budget on January 31. Read More

Generative AI is expanding in its capabilities rapidly. Its contribution is going to drastically increase across sectors and specially in the critical decision making process. The expanded use of AI could lead to reduction in demand for labour at entry levels.

Government's role is in skilling and deregulation to reduce cost of doing business: CEA

Global real economic activity has been declining. There is slowdown. India remains fastest growing among large economies of world: CEA

India has been able to open new geographies for exports. We can lift baseline number in these ways: CEA

Don't want to talk about speculative scenarios about a single country's trade policies. Whatever steps are needed in response or anticipation I am sure the concerned ministries will take, says  CEA

• CEA: There is clear push from India to diversify the energy resources like nuclear
• CEA on whether the rupee can depreciate further: This is a question better posed to the central bank
• CEA: Recent steps taken by RBI on rupee & domestic liquidity right steps in the right direction
• CEA team: Deregulation will affect small businesses to hire more and thus boost consumption
• CEA: To boost FDI, the magnet is profitable return to FPIs, direct investors, which India has been providing

• CEA: Energy transition fuels need to include natural gas, nuclear power with Emission mitigation
• Coal will continue to be mainstay despite India making better progress than other countries
• CEA: Single source concentration risk is there for energy transition
• CEA: Pandemic effects now erased completely from growth estimates
• CEA: Inflationary pressures have come down barring a few items
• CEA: Headline inflation is about 4 percent excluding 'TOP' vegetables
• CEA: Merchandise export growth is significant if one strips out petroleum & gems, jewelry
• CEA: 1% of GDP is the current account deficit which is not difficult to finance due to subdued oil prices, good services sector Export growth
• CEA: Gross FDI inflows remain steady amid an uptick on repatriation
• CEA: Survey's real GDP growth estimate for FY26 is in line with the prediction made by many international agencies
• CEA: Risk factors to India's GDP growth include volatile global stock markets, a development seen earlier this week
• CEA: The massive growth in retail participants in Indian stock market is surely a good thing, but also when the market corrects it could have implications on spending intention and sentiment impact may be significant
• We kept this risk in mind when we estimated a GDP growth of 6.3 to 6.8 percent for FY26
• CEA: Will be very happy to be proven wrong and conservative if the final outcome comes out to be better than 6.8 percent GDP growth in FY26
• CEA: Need deregulation to let MSMEs grow
• CEA: Augment internal capacities for growth
• CEA: The govt can continue to take action on PLI schemes for labour intensive sectors
• CEA: This time we are speaking of importance needed to give to domestic levers of growth same as the thought process behind Make in India & China plus one strategy

Economic Survey 2025 Live Updates, Union Budget:  The Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) commended India's infrastructure progress over the past decade, highlighting significant advancements across multiple sectors. He noted the introduction of new trains and airports, along with improved port efficiency, where turnaround time has reduced from 48 hours to 30 hours in recent years. Additionally, he emphasized key achievements such as increased capacity in the power sector, lower data costs, and the expansion of telecom infrastructure, all contributing to India's growing infrastructure capabilities.

Economic Survey 2025 Live Updates, Union Budget: The Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) expressed concerns about the impact of misleading advertisements, celebrity endorsements, and unclear labeling on consumer behavior. He highlighted that ultra-processed foods, which are often marketed using these strategies, are directly linked to serious health risks such as cancer, respiratory issues, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal problems.

Sensex rises by 540 points, with Nifty around 23,450; Nestle, L&T, and Titan lead the gainers. (Check live updates)

• CEA: Market forces can play a much better role in education to ensure quality outcomes
• CEA: Bringing more area under irrigation and land pooling and giving farmers the freedom to sell to whoever and at whatever prices can unlock 1 percent incremental growth in agri sector
• CEA: Public transport has to play a bigger role in energy transition and energy demand going forward

Economic Survey 2025 Live Updates, Union Budget: The value of trade affected by new import restrictions was just $170 billion in 2014-2015, but has now risen to over $1.3 trillion. The Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) emphasised that imports, exports, and investment flows are increasingly being seen through the lens of strategic competition. This shift in global trade dynamics is expected to continue for a prolonged period, presenting a new reality that India will need to navigate carefully.

• Deregulation is not only about ease of doing business, it is also a pathway to employment, says CEA
• Market forces can play a much better role in education to ensure quality outcomes, says CEA

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: The Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) emphasised India’s growing role as a significant player in global services, highlighting the country’s increasing influence in this sector. However, he noted that over the past 25-30 years, China has maintained a dominant presence, especially in high-tech and medium-tech industries. The CEA pointed out that China’s manufacturing output is so dominant that its share of global gross output is projected to exceed the combined share of the next 10 countries. (Read More)

Every single solar panel we install, every EV we produce in the country, the dependence on a single source for components keeps increasing, says Chief Economic Advisor

• India is a majorly services driven economy, with a significant share of the IT. Workforce is employed in low-value added services, which are most susceptible to automation, as firms to cut costs may substitute labour for technology.
• India is a consumption-based economy. A fall in consumption, resulting from the displacement of workforce, is bound to have macroeconomic implications. If the worst-case plays out, it can send growth trajectory off course.

• Budget Economic Survey Live Updates:  The Economic Survey 2023-24 recognised mental well-being as an economic issue and highlighted, in some detail, the increasing prevalence of mental health issues worldwide and in India and its likely impact on the economy. It emphasised a whole of community approach to tackling mental health problems. In this Survey, we take the discussion forward.
• Data suggests that mental well-being is not static; indeed, there are a myriad of factors, including workplace culture, hours spent working, and lifestyle, that influence mental well-being. This section presents the results of a short survey conducted to understand how lifestyle, work culture, family bonds, eating habits, etc., are affecting the mental health of citizens in the country. Although a few prior surveys have been conducted to assess mental health in India124, they do not allow us to have this understanding

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: The daily average power supply has improved from 22.1 hours in FY14 to 23.4 hours in FY24 in the urban areas and from 12.5 hours in FY14 to 21.9 hours in the rural areas. The gap between energy demand and supply has also declined from 4.2 per cent in FY14 to a mere 0.1 per cent by December 2024.

• Airport operators and developers, including the Airports Authority of India, are pursuing a capital expenditure plan exceeding Rs 91,000 crore from FY20 to FY25.
• About 91 per cent of this has been achieved by November 2024.

When Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget on February 1, it will be her eighth budget but an important one as it comes amidst a slew of global and domestic uncertainties and headwinds for the markets and the overall economy. While it is expected that the budget will focus on growth and infrastructure among other things, quite a few sectors – and stocks, in particular -- will be in the limelight on the day of the Budget. (Read More)

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: As for FY25, so far, the Government of India has raised 10-year Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) worth Rs 11,697.40 crores and plans to raise Rs 10,000 crore in remaining period of H2 FY25, i.e., Rs 5,000 crore each under 10-year and 30-year securities, respectively.

• Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: Govt should boost private sector financing in infrastructure for continuous growth says Economic Survey 2025
• Public-private partnerships are expected to play a vital role in planning, financing, constructing, and maintaining infrastructure projects. The government has introduced various PPP models to facilitate private sector involvement.
• These efforts would need to be supplemented with wholehearted acceptance of the need for public-private partnerships in infrastructure across the country.

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: India’s forex reserves are sufficient to cover 90 per cent of external debt and provide an import cover of more than ten months. India’s foreign exchange reserves increased from USD 616.7 billion at the end of January 2024 to USD 704.9 billion in September 2024 before moderating to USD 634.6 billion as on 3 January 2025.

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: Developing countries such as India have to bear a disproportionate burden of climate change and have no choice but to face the climate change consequence of historical emissions. Hence, India needs to undertake climate adaptation on an urgent footing as this has a direct impact on lives, livelihoods and the economy.

• Tech exports reached nearly USD 200 billion, reflecting a growth of 3.3 per cent, while the domestic market is expected to expand by 5.9 per cent, crossing USD 54 billion in FY24.
• The sector maintained its position as a net hirer, adding 60,000 employees to reach a workforce of 5.43 million in FY24.
• The number of GCCs in India has grown from approximately 1430 in FY19 to over 1700 in FY24. As of FY24, GCCs in India employ nearly 1.9 million professionals.

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: The rollout of 5G services, along with the introduction of new policies aimed at enhancing telecommunications infrastructure and user experience, has played a crucial role. By October 31, 2024, 5G services were launched in all states and union territories. Currently, 5G services are available in 779 out of 783 districts11. Over 4.6 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been installed nationwide.

• In FY25 (April-Dec), 5853 km of National Highways constructed
• Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, over 12 crore families have gained access of piped drinking water since its launch.

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: Strategic and systematic deregulation can catalyse growth, innovation, and competitiveness and is critical to encourage innovation for creation of a viable Mittelstand, i.e. India's SME sector. With deregulation, India's Mittelstand can help the states weather economic shocks, enable India to realise its manufacturing aspirations, attract long-term investments, and encourage growth which would be sustainable and 'employment-sensitive'.

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates:  The government has introduced various PPP models, including BOT, hybrid annuity models, and TOT, and has created mechanisms such as the National Infrastructure Pipeline and National Monetisation Pipeline to facilitate private sector involvement. These efforts would need to be supplemented with wholehearted acceptance of the need for public-private partnerships in infrastructure across the country.

“Getting out of the way” and allowing businesses to focus on their core mission is a significant contribution that governments around the country can make to foster innovation and enhance competitiveness.

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates:  Government has focused on infrastructure development over the past five years. The Union Government’s capital expenditure on key infrastructure sectors has grown at a rate of 38.8 per cent from FY20 to FY24. InFY25, following the electoral process, capex picked up momentum between July and November 2024

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: Under railway connectivity, 2031 km of railway network was commissioned between April and November, 2024, and 17 new pairs of Vande Bharat trains were introduced between April and October 2024.

Indian economy is likely to witness better days on the inflation front, as prices will stay contained and gradually move towards the central bank target of 4 percent, according to the Economic Survey released on the eve of the Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. (Read More)

• Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: The way forward for India is to reinvigorate the internal engines and domestic levers of growth and focusing on a central element – the economic freedom of individuals and organisations to pursue legitimate economic activity through systematic deregulation.
• Focus of reforms and economic policy must now be on systematic deregulation as the key agenda under Ease of Doing Business 2.0.

There are positive signs for inflation management in India. The Reserve Bank of India and the International Monetary Fund project that India’s consumer price inflation will gradually align with the target of around 4 per cent in FY26

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: The government’s proactive policy interventions have been crucial in stabilizing inflation. These measures include the strengthening of buffer stocks for essential food items, periodic open market releases and efforts to ease imports during supply shortages.

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: The pace of infrastructure development in critical sectors such as railways, roads, airports, and ports has largely remained steady, with capacity additions continuing on track.

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates:  AI is anticipated to surpass human performance in critical decision-making across various fields, including healthcare, research, criminal justice, education, business, and financial services. This can result in large scale labour displacement, especially at the middle- and lower-quartiles of the wage distribution.

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: India’s services trade surplus has lent balance to the overall trade account. India's robust services exports have propelled the country to secure the seventh-largest share in global services exports, underscoring its competitiveness in this critical sector.

• India’s economy will grow at 6.3-6.8 percent in the financial year 2025-26, according to the Economic Survey tabled by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on January 31.
• The government’s estimate range aligns with the International Monetary Fund’s projection of 6.5%, but is lower than the 6.7% forecasted by the World Bank. (Read More)

Focus will be completely on GDP and inflation numbers along with the future guidance

Sitharaman tables Economic Survey

Budget Economic Survey Live Updates: The government's gross borrowing target for FY'25 is set at Rs 14.01 lakh crore, with market borrowings helping to bridge the fiscal deficit. Investors will closely monitor the borrowing figures, particularly as the RBI's dividend for FY'26 is expected to be lower than the Rs 2.11 lakh crore received in FY'25.

Budget 2025 Economic Survey Live: GST collections for 2024-25 are projected to increase by 11%, reaching Rs 10.62 lakh crore. Attention is now focused on the FY26 projections, following a recent slowdown in revenue growth over the past three months.

Budget 2025 Economic Survey Live: Nirmala Sitharaman tables Economic Survey 2024-25 in Lok Sabha

Budget 2025 Economic Survey Live: The government is expected to maintain its fiscal glide path, with plans to reduce the fiscal deficit to below 4.5% of GDP in FY26, despite ongoing challenges.

BJD MP Sasmit Patra stated, "The Indian economy is not in very good shape. While we often talk about becoming a $5 trillion economy, issues like price rise, inflation, and unemployment remain significant concerns. The economy needs major reforms, and I hope we will see a reflection of this in tomorrow's budget."

• Ahead of the Union Budget, the Congress party released a report titled ‘Real State of the Economy,’ claiming that the Modi government is leading India toward a middle-income trap, which could make the country uncompetitive, underproductive, and unequal.
• The opposition party also pointed out that India’s GDP growth for 2024-25, according to government data, is expected to be 6.4%. However, it argued that this growth rate is not a reason for celebration, as India needs a sustained GDP growth of 8% to fully leverage its historic demographic dividend.
• The report further stated that India has consistently failed to meet its targets in recent years, with the Modi government pushing the nation toward a middle-income trap.

• On Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the first full Budget of the Modi 3.0 government, with expectations of adjustments to income tax slabs, a significant boost for infrastructure, and increased allocations for rural development and education.
• The Budget Session will begin on Friday with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
• The first part of the session will run until February 13, while the second part will resume on March 10 and conclude on April 4.

• Experts across various sectors are optimistic that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will introduce rationalized tax rates and incentives in the February 1 Budget to drive growth while maintaining fiscal discipline.
• Industry leaders anticipate that the first full Budget of the Modi 3.0 government will include measures to accelerate infrastructure development, a key step toward making India a developed nation by 2047.
• Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget for the next fiscal in the Lok Sabha on Saturday.
• “We believe the fiscal deficit will be the starting point of the Budget, with efforts to reduce it by 0.5% to around 4.3-4.4% of GDP for FY26. Within this framework, the Budget will aim to sustain or even increase capital expenditure to approximately ₹11 lakh crore, boosting investment, although the revised estimate for FY25 may be lower than initially projected,” said Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist at Bank of Baroda.
• From a banking perspective, he added that a more favorable tax slab for interest on bank deposits would create a level playing field with equity markets and offer better incentives for deposit holders.

• The Economic Survey is expected to project GDP growth of 6.3-6.8% for the next fiscal year, according to sources.
• Authored by Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageshwaran and his team, the Survey for 2024-25 will be presented in Parliament this afternoon.
• India’s GDP is estimated to grow at a four-year low of 6.4% in the current fiscal due to weak manufacturing and investment, as per the National Statistics Office.
• This projection falls below last year’s Economic Survey estimate of 6.5-7% and the Reserve Bank of India's forecast of 6.6%.

Indian rupee opened flat at 86.63 per dollar on Friday versus Thursday's close of 86.62.

The survey comprehensively assesses the  Indian economy.

The Economic Survey includes critical numbers, making it a vital pre-Budget document. It has outlook on GDP to projections on forex reserves, trade deficit, and inflation, etc.

Indian economy is likely to grow at 6.5 percent over the next two fiscals, the International Monetary Fund said on January 17.

Data released earlier this month showed that the Indian economy slowed to 6.4 percent compared with 8.2 percent in the previous fiscal on the back of a growth slump in the second quarter.

He asserted that India’s economy had achieved post-pandemic resilience

He emphasised capex-led growth strategy, hailing PLI schemes and infrastructure investments as key drivers in the Economic Survey 2023-2024

He discussed supply chain diversification and China+1 strategy, positioning India as an attractive alternative

His focus has been on fostering economic resilience, advocating for structural reforms, and addressing challenges such as income inequality, employment generation, and MSME credit access.

The survey is expected to assess the extent of India's economic recovery and explore more growth potential.

Key areas of focus may include strategies to enhance manufacturing growth and ways to sustain economic momentum

The Economic Survey comprises of two sections – Part A and Part B.

Usually, Part A lists out important economic developments of the current fiscal and overall review of India’s economic health and major pointers.

On the other hand, the Part B of the Economic Survey consists of commentary on socio-economic issues such as education, poverty, climate, human development and social security.

All social media handles and TV channels will be livestreaming Economic Survey.

You can also catch all the action and insight at Moneycontrol.

Sansad TV, PIB India will be live streaming the event.

Finance Ministry’s official X handle for live updates @FinMinIndia.

The Economic Survey for 2023-24 had estimated the GDP growth in the range of 6.5-7 percent for the current financial year. The first advance estimates released by the government have shown that the GDP growth is likely to settle below the 7 percent mark for the first time in four years, at 6.4 percent for FY25.

The Economic Survey was presented alongside the Union Budget from 1950 to 1964.

However, after 1964, it became a standalone document and has since been tabled a day before the Union Budget each year.

The Economic Survey continues to be a crucial document in shaping the government’s economic policy and providing a transparent view of India’s economic landscape.

As per the Economic Survey released last year, India's agriculture registered an annual growth of 4.18 per cent for the period of past five years. Industry sector grew at 9.5 per cent in FY24 and services sector's contribution to the Indian Economy stood at 55 per cent in FY24.

As we have said earlier, today is the beginning of the Budget Session of Parliament. At 11:00 am, the session will commence with President Droupadi Murmu addressing both Houses of Parliament. Following her address, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the Economic Survey. This comes a day before the Union Budget presentation, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow

Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran has completed three years in office, playing a crucial role in shaping the nation's economic policies. Appointed in January 2022, just before the release of the Economic Survey, he succeeded KV Subramanian and has since been key in guiding the country's economic strategies and assessments.

The Economic Survey document will be accessible to everyone once it is tabled in Parliament. The Economic Survey 2024–25 will be available on the official India Budget website, managed by the Ministry of Finance, which also offers access to reports from previous years for public reference.

The Economic Survey will also examine the responsibilities of the private sector, emphasising that social stability and long-term profitability depend on striking the right balance between capital deployment and labor employment.

The Economic Survey plays a pivotal role in shaping economic policies by providing a detailed assessment of various economic indicators, including GDP growth, inflation trends, agricultural and industrial output, employment levels, foreign exchange reserves, money supply, and fiscal trends. By analyzing these factors, the Survey helps set realistic revenue and expenditure targets, prioritize critical sectors, and align domestic policies with global economic shifts. It also contributes to managing public and market expectations by offering a transparent outlook on the economy.

• The Economic Survey is prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs under the guidance of the Chief Economic Advisor (CEA). India's current CEA is V. Anantha Nageswaran.
• In a column for Mint, the CEA noted that the "domestic context for the forthcoming Economic Survey" is more complex than it was for the previous two surveys.

The survey noted that core services inflation in FY24 fell to a nine-year low, while core goods inflation dropped to a four-year low. It attributed this decline to the Central government’s timely policies and the Reserve Bank of India’s price stability measures, which kept retail inflation at 5.4%—the lowest since the pandemic—driven by a reduction in core inflation across both goods and services.

The survey highlighted improvements in India's labor market indicators over the past six years, with the unemployment rate falling to 3.2% in 2022–23. Additionally, net payroll additions under EPFO have more than doubled in the last five years, indicating robust growth in formal employment.

According to the Economic Survey released in July last year, the inflow of foreign direct investment slowed down during the previous fiscal. According to the survey, net FDI inflows to India slumped to $26.5 billion in FY24 from $42 billion during FY23 . As per the gross FDI inflows, the trend witnessed a bit of moderation by 0.6 per cent to under $71 billion in FY24 from $71.4 billion in FY23

The Economic Survey, an annual report from the Ministry of Finance, provides a comprehensive analysis of the economy's current status and future prospects. It serves as a vital resource for policymakers, economists, and industry stakeholders by examining key macroeconomic trends, evaluating government policies, and proposing fiscal strategies.

The Finance Bill is crucial for several reasons, the most significant being discussions on a new direct tax code that would completely overhaul the existing Income Tax Act of 1961. The proposed code aims to simplify income tax laws, making them easier to read, understand, and follow, while also streamlining tax calculations and return filing for taxpayers.

Among the 13 other bills expected this session are amendments to the Disaster Management Act and the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act. Additionally, bills related to coastal and merchant shipping, as well as a proposal to rename the Institute of Rural Management Anand as Tribhuvan Sahkari University and designate it as "an institution of national importance," may also be introduced.

Sixteen bills, including the Finance Bill 2025, amendments to the Waqf and Banking Regulations Act, and the merger of the Indian Railways and Indian Railways Board Acts, will be introduced in Parliament during the Budget session, starting Friday with the presentation of the Economic Survey 2024–25.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Economic Survey presentation, which is scheduled to take place today. The day marks the beginning of the Budget Session of Parliament. After President Murmu's addresses to both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the Economic Survey today. Stay with us for key data, quick insights, buzz around Union Budget 2025 and much more.