At the India Today-Business Today Budget Round Table 2024, held on July 27, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman provided critical insights into the landmark internship initiative unveiled in Budget 2024-25.

Addressing implementation concerns, Sitharaman emphasized, “We still think it will be a nudge, we won’t be enforcing anything on anybody.” This collaborative approach aims to provide internships to 1 crore youth across India’s top 500 companies, potentially transforming the skilled labor landscape.

Sitharaman highlighted the initiative’s importance in bridging the gap between industry needs and available skills, marking a significant step in India’s employment strategy.

The high-profile event, co-powered by ICICI Direct and KIA’s New Seltos, featured over 25 top industry leaders and more than 200 attendees. It served as Sitharaman’s significant media engagement following her presentation of a record seventh consecutive Budget, focusing on decoding the intricate financial road map and outlining strategies to achieve Viksit Bharat through robust dialogue with business titans crucial to the nation’s economic ascent.

The India Today-Business Today Budget Round Table assembled an impressive roster of industry leaders and experts. Besides the Finance Minister, notable speakers included Ajay Seth (DEA Secretary), Ravi Agarwal (CBDT Chairman), Sanjay Kumar Agarwal (CBIC Chairman), Vinod Aggarwal (VE Commercial Vehicles), Kunal Bahl (Acevector Group), Dhruv Agarwala (Housing.com), Vineet Agarwal (Transport Corporation of India), Dr. Aashish Chaudhary (Aakash Healthcare), Dhirendra Kumar (Value Research), Ashu Madan (JM Financial Services), Vijay Kedia (Kedia Securities), Dr. Surjit Bhalla (former IMF ED), Abheek Barua (HDFC Bank), Aditi Nayar (ICRA), Rajiv Memani (EY India), Sanjeev Bikhchandani (Info Edge), Jayant Sinha (former MoS Finance), Prof Gourav Vallabh (BJP), Krishna Prasad Tenneti (TDP), Sushmita Dev (All India Trinamool Congress), Salman Soz (Congress), Ashok Gulati (ICRIER), and Ajay Vir Jakhar (Bharat Krishak Samaj).

Discussions at the event centered on the Budget’s impact across various sectors, including commercial vehicles, e-commerce, real estate, logistics, and healthcare. The sessions provided insights into India’s journey towards self-reliance in markets, fiscal implications, employment prospects, and farmer welfare.

The event also delved into the intricacies of Budget formulation and implementation strategies. Political perspectives on the Budget were debated, with Finance Minister Sitharaman outlining the government’s vision for a developed India, addressing industry concerns, and strategies for economic growth.

The India Today-Business Today Budget Round Table 2024 successfully brought together government officials, industry leaders, and economic experts for a comprehensive analysis of the Union Budget. This landmark event fostered crucial dialogues on India’s economic future, exploring strategies for growth across various sectors and providing valuable insights into the nation’s path towards becoming a developed economy.