From industry leaders to politicians, interim budget 2024 elicits diverse reactions

The interim budget 2024 has stirred a mix of opinions with the ruling party praising its continuity with the governments vision while the opposition expressed disappointment over what they perceive as a lack of concrete measuresThe business and industry sectors on the other hand appreciate the budgets focus on economic growth research and innovationPrime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the budget expressing confidence in its ability to fortify the foundations of a developed India In a video message PM Modi stated that the budget guarantees the strengthening of pillars crucial for a developed nation the youth poor women and farmers He described it as a forwardlooking budget confident in continuity and a commitment to making India a developed nation by 2047Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that the budget aligns with PM Modis vision for a developed India by 2047 He highlighted the milestones achieved by the BJP government in the last decade underscoring the roadmap outlined in the budgetUnion Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the budget for outlining a vision of a confident strong and selfreliant developed Bharat Singh noted the budgets significant allocations for infrastructure construction manufacturing housing and technology developmentCongress leaders however expressed disappointment Shashi Tharoor Congress MP characterized Sitharamans budget 2024 speech as one of the shortest on record and criticized it for lack of concrete implementation plans He mentioned a gap between rhetoric and actual delivery pointing out a decline in foreign investmentManish Tewari another Congress leader expressed concern about the increasing fiscal deficit calling the budget a mere grandstanding exercise He raised alarms about the unfunded extent of the Union Budget emphasizing the need for accountability and visionSamajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav termed the budget as the BJP governments farewell budget He accused the government of making a shameful record over the last decade and predicted a positive change soonMeanwhile BJP President JP Nadda praised the housing scheme announced in budget 2024 as a revolutionary step emphasizing the partys commitment to poverty alleviation and infrastructure developmentShiv Sena UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi criticized the budget stating that it showed a huge difference between the sayings and doings of the Central government She expressed disappointment for the lack of focus on the poor women and youthIndustry and expert reactionsBiotechnology industry veteran Kiran MazumdarShaw commended Sitharaman for outlining a comprehensive roadmap for sustained economic growth She highlighted the budgets focus on research innovation biomanufacturing and technologydriven digital transformationMadhavan Menon the Executive Chairman of Thomas Cook India Limited expressed his positive reaction to the interim Budget of 2024 highlighting its significant focus on tourism He commended the multipronged approach anticipating a beneficial ripple effect across aviation tourism and related sectors The announcements pertaining to airport development the addition of new air routes and the expansion of air connectivity to Tier 23 cities were particularly welcomed Menon also noted the emphasis on domestic tourism with plans for longterm interestfree loans to states and the development of iconic tourism centersIn the agricultural sector industry leaders responded favorably to the interim Budget viewing it as a promising roadmap for strengthening agriculture agrochemicals and the dairy industry Godrej Agrovets Managing Director Balram Singh Yadav acknowledged the governments commitment to supporting farmers through initiatives like the PMKISAN SAMMAN Yojana and the promotion of innovations Devendra Shah Chairman of Parag Milk Foods praised the comprehensive program for dairy farmers and efforts to control diseases seeing it as a positive step for increased productivitySandeep Sabharwal CEO of Sohan Lal Commodity Management SLCM Group welcomed the impetus given to postharvest activities emphasizing the positive move towards encouraging privatepublic partnerships in agricultural logistics Deloitte Indias Anand Ramanathan highlighted the budgets support for growth and productivity in agriculture including interventions in crop insurance nano fertilizers and selfsufficiency in oilseed production He noted the focus on proteinrelated initiatives like boosting dairy productivity and supporting seafood exportsMK Dhanuka Managing Director of Dhanuka Agritech lauded the decision to encourage private and public investment in postharvest activities emphasizing its significance in aggregation modern storage and efficient supply chains The commitment to technological advancement in the rural sector such as the application of nano DAP on crops was also acknowledgedKC Ravi Chief Sustainability Officer at Syngenta India emphasized the importance of digital infrastructure and technology infusion for sustaining the momentum in the agricultural sector Varun Khurana Founder and CEO of Otipy commended the encouragement for private and public investment in postharvest activities foreseeing a more resilient and sustainable agricultural ecosystemRajesh Aggarwal Managing Director of Insecticides India praised the continuation of flagship schemes like PM Kisan Samman Yojana and PM Fasal Bima Yojana highlighting the governments dedication to safeguarding farmers livelihoods Prasanna Rao CEO of Aryaag appreciated the budgets commitment to boosting both private and public investment in postharvest infrastructure anticipating positive outcomes in terms of reduced losses and increased productivity He also emphasized the pivotal steps taken towards sustainable agricultural advancement such as the expansion of Nano DAP and the commitment to oilseed selfrelianceState level reactionsVarious Chief Ministers also weighed in Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu hailed the budget for its comprehensive approach to inclusive growth Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described it as the vision of Viksit Bharat and a roadmap for making India the growth engine of the world