NEW DELHI, June 20 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday held the second pre-Budget consultation meeting with leading experts of the financial and capital markets. The pre-Budget consultation meeting was also attended by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and other senior officials of the Ministry of Finance.
Top Finance Ministry officials present in the meeting included Finance Secretary and Secretary, Expenditure; Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) and Chief Economic Adviser. The Union Budget 2024-25 is expected to be presented in Parliament next month. As this will be the first Budget of the Modi 3.0 government, it may lay the blueprint for making India the third largest economy in the world in coming years and also making India a developed nation by 2047. With jobs emerging as a key challenge, the Budget could provide measures to boost employment in the country. The focus on infrastructure is set to continue given its multiplier effect in the economy. The Indian economy has been the fastest-growing major economy in the world and clocked 7.8% year-on-year growth in January-March quarter (Q4) of the financial year 2023-24 on the back of strong performance by sectors such as manufacturing, services and construction. (UNI)