India To Ensure Aatmanirbharta, Budget Driven By Yuvashakti: FM Sitharaman

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that the government has ensured Aatmanirbharta across the spectrum despite geopolitical uncertainties, adding that the economic trajectory has been marked by stability towards the Viksit Bharat at 2047 goal.

Presenting her ninth consecutive Budget, the Finance Minister said the aim is to build and accelerate economic growth and fulfil the aspirations of the people with the motto of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'.

"Our government has decisively and consistently chosen action over ambivalence, and we have pursued far-reaching structural reforms, fiscal prudence and monetary stability, while maintaining a strong thrust on public investment," Sitharaman said.

"Today, we face an external environment in which trade and multilateralism are imperilled. And access to resources and supply chains is disrupted. New technologies are transforming production systems while sharply increasing demand on water, energy, and critical minerals. India will continue to take confident steps towards Viksit Bharat by balancing ambition with inclusion," she told the Lok Sabha

FM Sitharaman presented the 15th Budget of the PM Modi government. This is also the second full Budget since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power for a third consecutive term in 2024.

Sitharaman is also the first woman Finance Minister of the country to present the Budget in Parliament for the ninth consecutive time.

The budget is likely to focus more on capital expenditure, especially in sectors deemed to be strategically important owing to prevailing geopolitical compulsions.

After the presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27, the Finance Minister will interact with around 30 college students from different regions of the country. As part of this initiative, the college students are witnessing the presentation of the Union Budget live from the Lok Sabha Gallery, offering them a chance to view one of the most significant Parliamentary proceedings of the year.

During the course of preparing the Budget, various inputs have been sought from the country's citizens, including youth, through various platforms, which will be reflected in the upcoming Union Budget 2026-27.

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