India Boosts Infrastructure and Defence with Increased Budgetary Support

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the construction of 100 new Amrit Bharat trains and emphasized significant growth in Indian Railways and defence sectors, backed by increased budgetary allocations. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has prioritized infrastructure, defence, and electronics manufacturing in the latest Union budget.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed appreciation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for their substantial support for Indian Railways, highlighting the plan to produce around 100 new Amrit Bharat trains. Vaishnaw stated that the capital expenditure allocation for railways has reached a significant 2.52 lakh crore rupees in Gross Budgetary Support, a crucial investment for expanding and upgrading the railway network.

According to Vaishnaw, the latest budgetary exercise includes the production of 50 Namo Bharat trains and approximately 200 Vande Bharat trains in both sleeper and chair car variants. Additionally, the Electronics and IT sector is set to receive a major boost with recent announcements facilitating component manufacturing, aiming to enhance domestic electronics production significantly.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget for 2025-26 allocates 11.21 lakh crore rupees for capital expenditure, slightly increasing from last year's estimate. The defence sector sees the largest rise in capital expenditure, aimed at fostering domestic manufacturing and increasing exports. Despite maintaining the same capex for railways and roads as the previous year, the government is committed to driving infrastructure growth and self-reliance.

(With inputs from agencies.)