Govt’s priority to maintain economic stability, reforms to continue beyond Budget, says Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the government’s priority is to maintain the stability of the Indian economy while continuing economic reforms beyond the Budget.

She emphasised that structural changes and long-term planning remain central to the government’s approach.

In an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Sitharaman highlighted the need to “extend the red carpet and remove the red tape” simultaneously, stressing that labeling the Budget as “visionless” reflects a misunderstanding of its objectives.

Domain experts, she noted, have said the Indian economy’s fundamentals are “absolutely strong.”

She acknowledged that policymakers faced unprecedented uncertainty affecting decision-making.

“We had to keep that uncertainty in mind — what is going to be this year, and what is going to happen in the next five years. It was for us to plan for this year, for five years for the Finance Commission, and Viksit Bharat goals,” she said.

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She emphasised that the Budget’s impact goes beyond tax proposals, saying, “It is not just tax proposals that will take us to 2047 goals.”

On the rupee, Sitharaman said its position must be viewed in the broader context of the economy, noting that a weak currency becomes a concern only when the underlying economy is fragile.

“With the Indian economy currently strong, I would not frame the discussion in terms of personal comfort,” she said, stressing the importance of overall economic stability.

Regarding rising gold demand, the Finance Minister said global uncertainties are pushing investors toward time-tested safe-haven assets, which is driving sustained interest in bullion.