Infy hopes reforms in Budget Genpact unsure

Infosys chief Kris Gopalakrishnan on Wednesday expressed hope that DTC and GST will be pushed through in the forthcoming budget, while Genpact vice chairman Pramod Bhasin feared economic reforms will be tough going forward.

Infosys Technologies Executive Co-Chairman Kris Gopalakrishnan said he hoped Of a continuity of reforms suggested by the government. “There is an expectation on direct tax code and Goods and Service Tax (GST). I hope these tax reforms get pushed through,” he said.

On the other hand, Pramod Bhasin, Vice Chairman of Genpact, a BPO firm, on Wednesday said industries would be worried in the wake of fears looming large that the Centre would present a populist budget to appease regional parties, which did exceedingly well in the just-concluded assembly elections. “I do worry as to what implications are for this year’s union budget. How bold can the government afford to be given that it is yet to figure out exactly where its power base lies ... Yes all industries will worry about it,” he told reporters here.

The results in favour of regional parties leads to fractured politics even more with the budget looming ahead, Bhasin said. “We are worried whether the government will announce big changes in reforms. Will it announce any major move to allow more investments (that would become a bone of contention between regional and central parties),” he said. Bhasin urged regional parties to have a national perception and place nation above individual parties to arrive at a consensus on issues of reforms and change. “We need to have a national consensus on five to ten big areas. Now what is happening is every issue seems to be handled differently by different parties. Therefore we don’t quite know (the fate of the reforms or policies),” he said.

Asked about his wishlist that should be included in the upcoming budget, Bhasin urged the government to free up the education sector, but with regulation.