Push To Infra, Green Energy, Innovation

The market’s reaction to the Interim Budget was expectedly neutral. However, there were some announcements that are likely to have a long-lasting effect. The government’s emphasis on infrastructure spending, green energy and innovation, including inviting the private sector to pariticipate, will boost these sectors As Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman rose to present the Interim Budget this time, the question that lingered on everybody’s mind was: would it be a populist budget or fiscally prudent? She chose the middle path. “The Interim Budget emphasises strategic continuity across multiple areas, avoids short-term populist measures and displays fiscal prudence with FY25 fiscal deficit pegged at 5.1 per cent, and a modest borrowing programme which bond markets may like,” says Vishal Kapoor, CEO, Bandhan Mutual Fund. Market Neutral The...