High stakes as India vows to present a Budget like 'never before'

Total spending plan for next fiscal may surpass last year's Rs 30.4 trn, with focus likely on expanding a jobs guarantee program to cities and increasing allocation on education, housing, and health

India will turn to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget on Monday to see how she prioritizes spending to get the pandemic-ravaged nation back to being the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
 

Sitharaman’s plan will likely rely on generous public spending to spur activity, putting more money in the hands of the average taxpayer to boost consumption and easing rules to attract investments when she presents the budget at 11 a.m. in New Delhi.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

“Expectations are high, going into this budget,” said Samiran Chakraborty, an