The govt needs to act to protect industries and to foster them to create more jobs.
The Budget should bolster growth engines not only to revive the growth rate but also accelerate it from 6-7% to the 7-8% range in the medium term. (Representational Image/Reuters)
By Nagesh Kumar
The Budget 2025-26 will be presented against the backdrop of a marked slowdown of the Indian economy in Q2 of 2024-25 to a seven-quarter low of 5.4%, leading to a downgrading of the gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecasts for 2024-25 from around 7% earlier to around 6.5%. The ongoing geopolitical conflicts and expected upheavals of Trump 2.0 trade policy create further uncertainties for already stagnant exports and reduced inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI).