Industry bodies and National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) have termed the Union Budget 2025-26, presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, as a transformative step towards realizing the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat,’ with a strong focus on the middle class, MSMEs, startups, and employment generation.
Reacting on the Budget, industry body PHDCCI said the focus on Middle class and MSMEs will enhance consumption and production segments, boost private investments and create employment opportunities.
“We appreciate the strong steps to boost the middle income group, including Budget announcement of no income tax upto the income of Rs 12 lakh with tax rebate for those with income upto Rs 12 lakh,” Hemant Jain, President, PHDCCI said.
“The key focus areas in the Union Budget including taxation, power, urban development, mining, the financial sector, and regulatory reforms are major ingredients of development,” Jain said.
Sanjiv Puri, President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), emphasised the budget’s role in creating economic activity and employment, particularly in agriculture, MSMEs, and export-oriented sectors.
“There is a very clear investment in key areas that are crucial for India’s growth, such as human capital development, urban infrastructure, and future-facing technologies,” Puri said.
Meanwhile, Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, NSE has lauded the announcements made in the Union Budget saying it builds on India’s growth momentum with strong development measures, continued fiscal prudence, increased capex and reduced tax burden.
“Increase in disposable income enhances consumption growth and provides further wealth creation opportunities to Indian households through the markets. More and more people will join the pool of current 11 crore unique investors and will become stakeholders and beneficiaries of India’s growth journey thereby supporting a virtuous cycle of economic growth, capital formation and job creation,” Chauhan said.
Corporate world has welcomed the announcements made in the Budget in the education and startups sector.
It is heartening to see that 61 per cent of the total education budget has been allocated to school education — a rare and commendable step towards strengthening foundational learning, Sumeet Mehta, CEO and Co – Founder, LEAD Group said.
“The budget takes important strides in bridging the digital divide by prioritising broadband in rural areas, ensuring access to digital education for all. With a focus on digital initiatives like e-books and multilingual resources, it aims to create a more inclusive, future-ready education system,” Mehta said.
Welcoming the announcement in the Budget about the startups, Ashish Gupta, CEO, Fretbox said, “The creation of a ‘Fund of Funds for Startups’ with a Rs 10,000 crore infusion will provide a significant boost to innovation and entrepreneurship. The support for 5 lakh women, SC, and ST first-time entrepreneurs will also promote inclusive growth,” Gupta said.
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