🎙️ What India Needs In Budget 2025: In Conversation With Prof. Prasanna Tantri

Good evening!

We are back with another important episode on What This Means on something that impacts all of us — Budget 2025!

Professor Prasanna Tantri says the big change that he wants to see in all the sectors is the bottom-up approach of identifying the problems and then finding effective ways of fixing them and then allocating funds accordingly. This contrasts with the traditional top-down approach, where funds are allocated first, and projects are sought afterward.

On his expectation for the budget, he says: "My expectations for the Budget 2025 are to keep total expenditure below ₹50 lakh crore and to implement tax cuts, especially on the capital gains. While there is talk about tax cuts in the upcoming budget, my concern lies with capital expenditure; ideally, it should remain below ₹49-₹50 lakh crore."

The real question in front of us right now, he argues, is whether we are looking for the next two or three quarters of GDP growth or if we are looking at Viksit Bharat 2047.

We also discuss:
- Key expectations from Union Budget 2025
- What needs to be done to achieve 9-10% GDP growth?
- Does the GST system need simplification?
- Key issues hindering India's growth story
- The politics of freebies: concerns for states and the Centre

Prof. Tantri explains all of this and more. Don't miss it!

👀 You can also read the interview here — Lower Taxes, Lower Spending — Prof Prasanna Tantri On Budget 2025 Expectations

P.S: We wish to record a detailed podcast on Delhi politics: Past & Present. If you have any suggestions on whom we should speak to (Professor/Researcher/Author/Politician/etc.), please drop their names (and contact details, if possible) at diksha@swarajyamag.com.

Thank you!

Your host,

Diksha Yadav