Union Budget 2024-25: PM Modi Meets Top Economists Ahead of Budget 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met top economists at an initiative to chalk out a plan for the roadmap to achieve goals of inclusive growth and making India the world's third-largest economy by 2024. The meeting was held at Niti Aayog, where issues about speeding up poverty reduction, checking price rise, and extending schemes that promote welfare, along with creating more jobs by making judicious investments and skilling, were discussed.
The meeting was joined by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and sectoral experts, among other important officials. The move is also ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget 2024-25, due on July 23. Modi further reiterated that the government is committed to pushing the reforms further, as they play the most important role in improving service delivery and economic saturation.
Some of the key speakers were Niti Aayog's vice chairman, Suman Bery, Planning Minister Rao Inderjit Singh, Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran, economists Ashok Gulati and Surjit Bhalla, and banker KV Kamath. Sources said the budget will clearly outline actions that can ensure India becomes a $30 trillion economy by 2047 through rural development, investment in infrastructure, health, education, and agricultural growth.
In a social media post, Modi said deliberations of the interaction have cemented the fact that inputs from economists would play a vitally important role in formulating future policies. The deliberations confirmed priorities such as fiscal consolidation, public expenditure to spur growth, enhancing 'ease of living' for farmers, women, youth, middle class, and vulnerable sections.
While addressing Parliament, Presiden Droupadi Murmu mentioned that the ensuing budget would emerge as a document of great importance for the government to display its comprehensive policies and futuristic vision. Against this backdrop, with great expectations harboured on transforming economic measures, it would set the platform for India's sustainable development and prosperity.
The interaction of the prime minister with economists is indicative of its proactive approach towards guiding reforms in economic and social sectors with the aim to strengthen India's growth track in the backdrop of global economic dynamics.
