INDUSTRY VOICES

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises

-- The biggest takeaway for me was the call out from the Finance Minister that 'wealth creators will be respected'. This will be a massive boost to business confidence and entrepreneurship and a sign that we are serious about building a new India, where Corporate India and new age entrepreneurs will be stakeholders in growth."

Gopichand Hinduja, co-Chairman, Hinduja Group

-- Given the hard constraints in the economy, the Finance Minister has done a creditable job at balancing the need for an economy in a revival mode and fiscal orthodoxy. The FM could not have been aggressive on either count.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CMD, Biocon

-- Although my immediate response to the budget was satisfactory, now that I've read the fine print I must say I'm less optimistic about strong economic revival. In fact removal of exemptions n DDT will hurt individual tax payer and affect consumer spending. Why no export incentives?(sic).

Satish Reddy, Chairman, Dr Reddy's Laboratories

-- The industry had high expectations of this budget as it was seen to be an opportunity to announce big, bold reforms given the state of the economy. On that count, there is a degree of disappointment in some quarters as expectations have not been met.

Anil Agarwal, Executive Chairman, Vedanta Resources

-- I compliment the Finance Minister for a pragmatic and forward looking budget. The Government has chosen fiscal prudence over a massive spending programme. Now, its priority should be to efficiently finance and rapidly implement the National Infrastructure Pipeline worth Rs 102 lakh crore it has previously announced.

Sangita Reddy, President, Ficci

-- Given the constraints that the Finance Minister was facing, this has been a comprehensive statement. The government has done a commendable job and the various measures announced will strengthen India, individuals and industry.

T V Narendran, CMD, Tata Steel

-- The budget continues to focus on the infrastructure sector, which is steel intensive. The infrastructure sector has the potential to kick start the economy, boost capex cycle, create jobs outside the urban centres and hopefully provide impetus to the heavy vehicle segment. Initiatives like expansion of national gas grid and piped water supply to households will boost steel demand.

Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Chairman, SAIL

-- The government's plan of massive investment on infrastructure projects will definitely work to boost steel consumption in the country and give momentum to the economy, which would also help to generate job opportunities. Along with this, the steel industry will be directly benefited from the government's renewed focus on investment in Indian Railways and plan to develop 100 new airports and piped water supply line.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)