Budget 2024: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Interim Budget for the financial year 2024-25 this week, setting the stage for critical financial deliberations. In light of its interim nature, the likelihood of substantial government alterations to this budgetary proposal seems improbable. Anticipated adjustments will emerge following the 2024 general elections when the incoming administration is slated to unveil a comprehensive budget in July. The current interim budget appears to prioritise economic expansion, marked by an augmented allocation for capital expenditure, while maintaining fiscal consolidation, a trend consistent with past fiscal approaches.
Read on to find out how to watch the Interim Budget session live.
Budget 2024: Date, Time
Sitharaman will present the Interim Budget in Parliament on February 1, starting at 11 am IST.
Budget 2024: How To Watch Live Stream?
On Thursday, the finance minister's address will be streamed live on the official Parliamentary channel — Sansad TV — on YouTube on any compatible device.
Here's a link to the channel: YouTube.com/@SansadTV
Of course, if you're watching on TV, you can head to the Doordarshan and Sansad TV channels to catch the Interim Budget presentation.
ABP Live will also be providing all the latest updates, analyses, and live stream of the Budget presentation. Stay tuned to news.abplive.com for all your needs.
Budget 2024: Where Can I See The Official Document?
Once the official presentation is over, the official document will be made available online through the Union Budget mobile app. This can be downloaded via Google Play (for Android users) and App Store (for iOS users).
Lastly, you can head to www.indiabudget.gov.in for everything you need, from download links of the app to the official document.
Budget 2024: What To Expect
In anticipation of the upcoming 2024 general elections, the concluding annual financial statement of the second term under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's NDA government is expected to carry elements of a potentially populist budget. Prime Minister Modi had declared an extension of the free grain initiative, initially slated to conclude in December 2023, for 81.35 crore individuals during the assembly election campaigns in five states last November. This extension, aimed at supporting marginalised segments of society, could lead to an enhancement of budgetary allocations not only within existing welfare programs but also through the introduction of new populist measures, encompassing subsidies, employment initiatives, water-related projects, and educational reforms.
MUST READ: Budget 2024 Expectations: A Trade-Off Between Fiscal Consolidation And Growth
Simultaneously, the National Statistical Office (NSO) unveiled the First Advance Estimate of GDP for the fiscal year 2023-24 on January 5. Contrary to the revised growth projections of the RBI, IMF, and World Bank, the data reveals a robust real GDP growth of 7.3 per cent. The driving forces behind this growth are private investment, as measured by Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF), and an uptick in private final consumption expenditure (PFCE). This economic data is poised to play a crucial role in shaping the government's budgetary decisions, guiding the formulation of targets related to fiscal consolidation, economic growth, and financial assistance directed towards vulnerable sections of the population.