<b>Rajiv Memani:</b> A focused and steadfast Budget

Finance minister's proposals are in line with the needs of India's economy in a global environment

Budget 2017 displays a steadfast resolve to stay on course despite turbulent external factors. The emerging trends of increased protectionism and tax competitiveness from developed economies, hardening crude prices and a dynamic global interest rate environment are just some of the external factors that the finance minister had to contend with, resisting any temptations to mend course. It is heartening that incremental steps in successive Budgets have followed a consistent theme as originally envisaged — widening the tax base, addressing the menace of the parallel economy, bringing transparency to political funding, boosting start-ups, enhancing ease of doing business, rationalising the