Budget 2024: Glimpses from India’s 10 landmark budgets
By Anshul
By Anshul
CNBC-TV18.com
CNBC-TV18.com
Published Jan 30, 2024
Published Jan 30, 2024
As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to present the interim budget on February 1, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, let's take a look at India's landmark budgets:
John Mathai's inaugural budget paved the way for the Planning Commission and set the groundwork for India's economic planning.
1947: Republic’s First Budget
Presented by Yashwantrao B Chavan during the Indira Gandhi era, this budget earned its name due to fiscal deficit of ₹550 crore.
1973-74: The Black Budget
VP Singh's budget marked the beginning of dismantling the license raj, a crucial step towards economic liberalisation in India.
1986: License Raj’s End
Manmohan Singh's budget further dismantled the license raj and paved the way for economic liberalisation.
1991: Liberalisation Era
P Chidambaram's budget lowered tax rates, especially for corporates and encouraged foreign investments.
1997-98: Dream Budget
Yashwant Sinha's budget laid the foundation for the growth of India's Information Technology (IT) industry.
2000: IT Revolution
Yashwant Sinha's budget, during the NDA government, was notable for its rollback of several proposals and policies.
2002-03: Rollback Reign
Pranab Mukherjee introduced General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR) to counter aggressive tax avoidance, creating controversy with retrospective changes affecting the Vodafone-Hutchison deal.
2012-13: GAAR Introduction
Arun Jaitley's budget merged the Railway Budget with the General Budget, ending the 92-year-old tradition of a separate Railway Budget.
2017: Railway Merger
Sitharaman's budget garnered attention for its heightened focus on privatisation, tax collections, and significant investments in infrastructure and healthcare.