Budget 2010: Setting The Agenda For The Next Decade of Reforms

CNBC-TV18, CNBC AWAAZ & Moneycontrol.com launch comprehensive programming on Union Budget 2010.

The new decade has begun in the shadow of the sub-prime crises and economic recession that derailed most economies of the world. Even though the epicenter of all these crises was in the US, India too felt the tremors. Now as the global economy limps back to recovery, our Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will present the first Budget for this new decade.

A bad monsoon has had a telling effect and the result is that the food inflation is touching an all-time highs. The other big issue the FM has to grapple with is how to roll back the three Stimulus Packages the government gave in 2009 to spur economic growth in the light of the global meltdown.  The fiscal deficit has touched an alarming level of 6.8% of GDP. So what will the FM do? He must find ways and means to keep the economic engine chugging faster so that it hits double-digit growth in the next two years. At the same time he will have to fine-tune his tax system through various reforms to increase the government’s revenue. Will the FM further open sectors like the Insurance, Banking, Media or Retail? The real challenge before the finance minister this time around is to act, and act fast, no more long speeches and lofty promises, India needs some decisive steps to ensure that its economy grows at a faster clip and it becomes the most favoured investment destination.

Commenting on the budget programming, Ajay Chacko, Director, TV18 Business Media said, “CNBC-TV18 & CNBC AWAAZ have always set the tone and established new benchmarks in budget coverage over the last decade. This year as well, the channels will deliver a comprehensive mix of special programming and initiatives focusing on budget expectations, analysis and impact across communities and through multiple approaches and formats. This year’s budget is clearly critical, as the govt must adopt an aggressive action oriented policy stance, which goes beyond announcements and paves the way for sustained implementation. Moreover, the govt faces the dilemma of withdrawing its economic stimulus and reining in the fiscal deficit without compromising the growth recovery. This forms the crux of our programming theme and focus in Budget 2010”

Throughout the month of February, CNBC-TV18 & CNBC AWAAZ will launch a special line-up of initiatives that would predict and analyze steps that the FM could take in the budget and also air views and expectations of stakeholders across the country. These initiatives will include editorial shows, ground events, on air segments, vignettes & specials.

Some of the budget programming attractions on CNBC Universe-TV18 & CNBC AWAAZ:

CNBC-TV18 PRE BUDGET PROGRAMMING

• Mapping the Exit: Post the recession, growth was the ultimate agenda but now with rising inflation and a burgeoning fiscal deficit, how will the FM unwind the sops and stimulus packages without affecting growth? 
• Report Card: A report card on the government’s performance. An analysis of the hits and misses of the government’s policy and economic hits and misses
• Forbes India Show Budget Special: Senthil Chengalvarayan will speak to the leaders of India Inc. about their expectations from the budget
• What the World Wants: India has been seen as an oasis of stability, a star emerging market and the anchor of the future economic order. Will that view shape the global business expectations from Budget 2010?
• Young India View: What do the young turks of Indian business & policymaking expect from Budget 2010? And what is their vision for India’s economic future?
• Sectoral Budget Expectation: Find out what the various sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and services expect from Budget 2010
• Indian Economy specials: Karan Thapar debates with India’s veterans on policy on the opportunities and challenges for the FM in Budget 2010
• Personal Budget: Vivek Law and India’s top experts dwell on the probable impact of the budget on the consumer’s wallet
• Pre-Budget Market expectations: Expectations of Dalal Street from Budget 2010

Apart from these special programmes, CNBC-TV18 will also feature power packed segments & vignettes such as:

• 10 Years Budget Highlights: a roundup of key measures in the Union Budgets in past 10 years. 
• Industry Wish list: A series of vignettes with major industry heads on their industry’s budget wish list 
• If I Were FM: Where people voice one key decision or issue that they would focus on if they were the FM 
• CEO Bytes: India’s CEOs voice their demands from Budget 2010 
• What the World Thinks: Expectations from Budget 2010 of the international business & financial community 
• CNBC-TV18 Mint Economic Poll: A Check on the expectations and mood of various stakeholders from Budget 2010 
• Budget Trivia: a trivia on past budgets, demystifying the jargon; 
• Tax Minute: Views from experts and analysts on tax

In addition to the on-air programming, CNBC-TV18 will also organise a number of events and on ground discussions that will bring together policy-makers, industry leaders and top analysts to dwell on the expectations from the budget from various quarters of the nation such as:

CNBC-TV18 BUDGET GROUND EVENTS

• What India Thinks: Discussions with CEO’s and market participants on Budget 2010, its importance for today’s economy and their expectations from it.
• Economic Survey Special: An in-depth analysis of Indian Economic Survey; 
• Agenda Setting, a special ground event will discuss corporate and policy expectations from the government
• The Verdict: A post budget ground event will analyse how Budget 2010 fares vis-a-vis industry expectations  
• What Markets Want: A ground event which will analyse what Dalal Street and the retail investors expect out of Budget 2010 
• Corporate Tax Events: A series of ground events highlighting the tax expectations and the impact on corporate India from Budget 2010 with India’s leading CFO’s & tax experts

CNBC-TV18 will also present Railway Budget special to analyse the impact of Railway Budget 2010 with regards to tariffs, freight policy, cross subsidisation, new announcements

CNBC AWAAZ’s special line up for Budget 2010 Includes:

• BUDGET MANTRA: A series of shows on the expectations of various sections of the society from Budget 2010, budget mantra will showcase India’s biggest business leaders in all their avtaars – the business leader, the investor, the tax payer, the senior citizen and the common man – and put  into perspective their expectation from the budget 
• Economy, Industry and Markets: Will feature a panel of experts from different sectors to highlight the measures necessary to ensure strong economic growth 
• Tax Guru-Budget 2010 Special: Renowned tax expert Subhash Lakhotia will highlight the tax expectations of the common man from Budget 2010
• Economic Survey Special: A comprehensive overview of the economy and an in-depth analysis of the economic survey undertaken by the government.

CNBC AWAAZ will also present expectations from the Union Budget 2010 through special segments and ground activities.

• Budget 2010 Umeedein: Expectations of India from budget 2010 
• Budget 2010-Kitty Party: Expectations of housewives from the Union Budget; 
• Jargon Mukti Morcha: a series of graphic plates simplifying jargons used in the budget

In addition to this CNBC AWAAZ will, in the countdown to Budget 2010 host a series of ground forums like, Budget & B-School, which will analyse the expectations of the youth from Budget 2010

• Budget Aur Tax: Tax Guru Subhash Lakhotia, will talk to the common man to understand their queries and expectations from Budget 2010 and suggest tax saving ideas 
• Har Ghar Ka Budget: Will travel across the country to gauge the expectations of the families from the budget and post the budget, will also find out if the Budget lived up to their expectations

CNBC AWAAZ will highlight expectations of the common man has from the rail budget, followed by a live telecast and analysis of Railway Budget 2010.

CNBC-TV18 AND CNBC AWAAZ BUDGET EVE, BUDGET DAY AND POST BUDGET PROGRAMMING

On the Budget day, CNBC-TV18 & CNBC AWAAZ will have comprehensive MINUTE-BY-MINUTE budget coverage and analysis including live sessions with policy makers, industry bodies, CEO’s and market experts. CNBC-TV18 will also present Budget Day Morning, highlights of panel discussions with India’s leading ‘think tanks’ such as CII and FICCI.

Furthermore, CNBC-TV18 & CNBC AWAAZ will also present FM speech in English and Hindi respectively along with detailed analysis and impact of budgetary announcements as the budget is announced.

CNBC-TV18 & CNBC AWAAZ will also present BUDGET BONAZA CONTEST, where viewers answer questions related to the budget and win prizes every hour

The day Following the Budget, CNBC-TV18 will present Budget Breakfast, a special morning show with Udayan Mukherjee that will analyse the impact of Budget 2010.

On Budget day, CNBC AWAAZ will host a Budget Day Expert Panel that will analyze the Economic Survey findings and give an overview of what Union Budget 2010 might hold. After the FM’s speech, CNBC AWAAZ’s BIG IMPACT will explore the impact of the budget on families, traders, tax payers and stock markets.

MONEYCONTROL.COM

India’s leading financial portal will have a special budget look a fortnight before the budget day and roll out a series of write-ins, chats, articles, polls and blogs along with sectoral analysis, market expectations and corporate views from Budget 2010. It will also web-cast the FM’s budget speech.

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