Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday tabled the pre-Budget Economic Survey in the Lok Sabha.
Key Highlights:
* GDP growth seen at 8.1-8.5% in 2015-16
* Double digit growth trajectory; 8-10% GDP in coming years
* Inflation shows declining trend during April-December
* CAD to decline to about 1% in 2015-16
* To adhere to fiscal deficit target of 4.1% of GDP; to aim for 3%
* Committed to fiscal consolidation; to enhance revenue generation
* More reforms on anvil; GST, expanding direct benefit transfers to be game-changers.
* Foodgrains production for 2014-15 estimated at 257.07 million tonnes; will exceed last 5-year average by 8.5 MT
Budget 2015: Complete Coverage
* NITI Aayog, 14th Fin Comm to enhance fiscal federalism
* External Sector returning to strength, resilience
* Need balance between 'Make in India' and 'Skilling India'
* Services sector negotiations at WTO crucial for India in removing many market access barriers
* Revitalise PPP model to revive investment
* Manufacturing and services equally important for growth.
* Consumer inflation in 2015-16 to be between 5-5.5 pc
* Lower inflation opens up space for more monetary easing
* There is scope for big bang reforms
* Labour, capital, land, market reform and skills to be engines of growth
* JAM Trinity - Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar, Mobile - to help transfer of funds to poor without leakage
* Shield domestic industry to promote 'Make In India'
* Borrowings to fund investment, not for meeting expenses
* Food subsidy bill in Apr-Jan up 20 pc to Rs 1.08 lakh cr
* Reform Railway's structure, commercial practices, overhaul of technology
* Public investment key growth engine in short-run for Railways, but not a substitute for private investment
* More disinvestments on the anvil in current fiscal
* Under-recoveries on petroleum products to come down to Rs 74,664 crore in 2014-15, from Rs 1.39 lakh crore in FY14
* 4Ds - Deregulation, Differentiation, Diversification, Disinter (better bankruptcy laws) - to push financial sector growth
* Implementation of GST to boost GDP, exports
* Suggests medium to long term fiscal policy to target deficit, expenditure
* Global commodity prices to remain weak in 2015
* Ecommerce sector to witness 50 pc growth in 5 yrs
