Budget 2025: PM Modi meets economists, experts to get their views

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday was in a meeting with eminent economists and sectoral experts to get their views and suggestions for the upcoming budget. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the budget for FY 2025-26 in the Lok Sabha on February 1, 2025.

Sitharaman, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Economic Advisor Anantha Nageswaran and eminent economists, including Surjit Bhalla, DK Joshi are attending the budget meeting.

India's 2024-25 economic performance

The meeting comes amid worries around deceleration in economic growth and poor consumption. India's economic growth slumped to a seven-quarter low of 5.4% in the September quarter.



Sitharaman has already concluded her pre-budget consultations with the key stakeholders, including economists, industry and trade unions.

The upcoming budget will be of interest for measures taken to support growth and consumption and incentives or reforms to foster private investment.

The budget will also be watched for possible pre-emptive measures or response to actions by the US government after Donald Trump assumes office on January 20.

The US President-elect has threatened tariffs on goods from several countries including China, Brazil and India.


Private economists and organisations have slashed their growth projections for India following the sharp drop in growth in the September quarter.

The Asian Development Bank has cut India's FY25 growth projection to 6.5% from 7%, while Goldman Sachs scaled down its forecast to 6.4% from 6.5%.

Indian economy expanded 8.2% in FY24.

High retail inflation has ruled out any monetary stimulus to prop up growth through lower interest rates.