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Sunday, March 15, 2026
HomeBud Expert Opinions

Bud Expert Opinions

Budget 2024 stays clear of populism, continues to create a path for fiscal consolidation

The ‘Vivad se Vishwas' scheme 2024 will provide a fresh opportunity for taxpayers who, in the absence of the settlement commission, had no options but to litigate.

Reduced fiscal deficit signals prudent spending in FY25, will boost foreign investment

Given the weakness in consumption and elevated inflation, Budget 2024 was expected to provide a cushion to individual taxpayers. Some comfort has been provided to those who opt for the new tax regime.

Modi govt’s Budget 2024 plays unabashed appeasement politics—after borrowing Congress ideas

Nirmala Sitharaman finally acknowledged the jobs emergency in her Budget 2024 speech, but the plans to provide employment for four crore youth over five years is characteristic Modi govt bombast.

Does Modi govt deserve credit for tax effort? It’s really nothing to crow about

Any government would increase the emphasis on social welfare schemes. The votes lie disproportionately in rural areas but the income is disproportionately concentrated in urban areas.

Agriculture in Interim Budget 2024—oil seed farmers get a boost but FPOs lose steam

Nirmala Sitharaman’s speech outlined the success of the Modi government & reiterated its focus on four ‘castes’: women, poor, farmers and youth. But there were no big announcements.

Interim Budget 2024 works with limitations, gives the next govt a roadmap for ‘Viksit Bharat’

The Interim Budget 2024 provides guidance for formulating policies to foster and sustain growth, facilitate inclusive and sustainable development, improve productivity, and generate resources to power investments.

Manmohan Singh and Modi’s 10-year economic legacy—MNREGA safety vs unsafe jobs in Israel

The Interim Budget 2024 offers a neat milestone to compare economic, taxation, and expenditure philosophies of Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi’s ten-year tenures.

Interim Budget 2024 ditched populism. Modi govt didn’t give in to election temptation

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Interim Budget 2024 speech makes it clear that the Modi government is confident of being voted back to power. This augurs well for the economy and people of India.

Aditya Puri was top performer at Citibank. At HDFC, he was dismissed as a flash in the pan

In ‘Adityanama’, Smiley Puri offers an insight into the remarkable life of her husband, the legendary Indian banker Aditya Puri.

Increased funds for school education budget should address Covid learning loss, say educationists

Allocation for school education went up to 68,805 cr from last budget's Rs 63,449.37 cr. Substantial increase in funds for training teachers & grants-in-aid to state govts & UTs.

On Camera

Gulf conflict pushes Dubai diamond traders to eye Surat for rough stone auctions. But there are hurdles

Industry leaders say India’s complicated customs process and GST levies are deterrents for traders to come to Surat for auctions.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba, the man Iran must keep alive & the secret force ‘tasked with it’—all about NOPO

The Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, or NOPO, was the only force Ali Khamenei trusted.It was founded in 1991 and is more feared than the Revolutionary Guards.

Peaceful power transfers followed uprisings in India’s neighbourhood. It’s a sign of mature democracies

Rating democracies is a tricky business. I am only using the simple metric of who in the Indian subcontinent has had the most peaceful, stable, normal political transitions and continuity.