Washington, Feb 2 (PTI) Congratulating Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on delivering a budget that allows the government to continue supporting development while keeping an eye on fiscal deficit, the head of a top India-centric American business advocacy group described it as a “measured and pragmatic budget”.

“The first principle is do no harm and the government has adhered to this - there are no major policy changes, which is good in the current scenario. I call this a measured and pragmatic budget. There was tremendous pressure on the government to do more given the upcoming state elections,' Mukesh Aghi, president, US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Aghi said there is also the unsaid acknowledgment in the budget that coronavirus and inflation are still not behind us.

'We are pleased to see the 35 per cent increase in capital expenditure budget, which will support investment in critical infrastructure needed for business to expand and create more jobs along with the investments in public health and welfare,” he noted.

The head of USISPF also welcomed the support for 'manufacturing through PLI schemes and investments in solar technology and other green infrastructure, which ties in nicely with the government's ‘Make in India’ initiative, and India's desire to lead the fight against climate change'.

“This budget charts a credible path forward, and we applaud the government's steady policy hand to revive and continue the path of growth for the Indian economy,' Aghi added.

Sitharaman had on Tuesday unveiled a bigger Rs 39.45 lakh crore budget, with higher spending on highways to affordable housing with a view to fire up the key engines of the Indian economy to sustain a world-beating recovery from the pandemic.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)