Budget 2020: Laundry list of demands from various sectors of the economy

Given that there could be a tax revenue crunch next year, and the Centre is expected to maintain some fiscal discipline, the Modi govt may have to prioritise some sectors over others

Ten days from now, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present what could well be the defining budget not only of the Modi government’s second term, but perhaps its entire tenure so far.

The economy slowed down to a 26-quarter low of 4.5 per cent in the July-September quarter, and the Reserve Bank of India sees 2019-20 gross domestic product to grow at just 5 per cent, down from its earlier estimates of 6.1 per cent. The International Monetary Fund, earlier this week, also slashed its forecast for India’s GDP growth from 6.1 per cent to 4.8 per cent, and said