Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday strongly countered sharp criticism from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over the Union Budget, asserting that the government’s economic strategy remains consistent and that the Budget contains multiple safeguards aimed at shielding ordinary citizens from global economic volatility.
Earlier in the day, Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget in Parliament of India, outlining a broad policy framework with emphasis on infrastructure development, artificial intelligence, simplification of tax compliance, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and enhanced defence spending, among other priorities.
Responding to Gandhi’s social media post that called for a “course correction,” Sitharaman said she was unclear about what exactly the Congress leader was referring to. She maintained that the Indian economy remains fundamentally strong despite widespread uncertainty across global markets. According to her, economic turbulence is being felt worldwide, but India’s core macroeconomic indicators remain resilient.
The Finance Minister said the Budget introduces several targeted interventions designed specifically to protect vulnerable sectors and communities from external shocks. She highlighted that global uncertainty has affected multiple industries, and in response, the government has rolled out focused schemes for small and medium enterprises, the textile and leather sectors, farmers, women entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and those engaged in value addition activities.
She emphasised that these initiatives are intended to cushion the impact of global volatility on everyday livelihoods. According to Sitharaman, the objective is to ensure that ordinary citizens, particularly small business owners and workers, are not forced to undergo drastic disruptions in their lives due to economic developments beyond India’s control.
Taking aim at what she described as politically motivated criticism, Sitharaman said opposition leaders were free to criticise the government but should back their arguments with concrete facts. She said she remained open to engaging with substantive, data-driven criticism and was willing to respond to any claims grounded in evidence.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had criticised the Budget in a post on X, alleging that it failed to address what he described as the economy’s “real crises.” He listed issues such as unemployment among youth, declining manufacturing output, capital outflows by investors, falling household savings, distress among farmers, and looming global economic shocks, arguing that the Budget ignored these challenges and lacked corrective measures.
The Union Budget 2026, as presented by Sitharaman, lays out a long-term fiscal and growth roadmap with a focus on infrastructure expansion, promotion of domestic manufacturing, and simplification of the tax system. The government has projected economic growth of around 7 per cent for the coming year while targeting a fiscal deficit of 4.3 per cent of GDP.
Among the major infrastructure announcements are plans for a dedicated freight corridor connecting Dankuni and Surat, as well as the addition of 20 new national waterways to strengthen inland transport and logistics. Manufacturing is set to receive a boost through initiatives such as Semiconductor Mission 2.0 and incentive schemes for electronics, biopharmaceuticals, rare earth magnets, and industrial clusters.
To support smaller businesses, the Budget proposes a ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund aimed at improving access to capital for MSMEs. In the healthcare sector, customs duty exemptions on 17 cancer drugs have been announced to help reduce treatment costs and ease the financial burden on patients. Overall, the government has positioned the Budget as a balanced response to global uncertainty while maintaining fiscal discipline and long-term growth objectives.
