Budget buzz: PM Modi to host key economists, what's on the agenda?

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Ahead of the 2026-27 Union Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with renowned economists and experts on Tuesday to seek their opinions and suggestions regarding the budget.

The meeting is part of the government's pre-budget deliberations. It is expected to include economists and experts from various fields, as well as NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, and other members.

The objective of this meeting is to know the views of experts on the current economic situation of the country, so that the government can take right economic decisions.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present the budget on February 1. This budget comes at a time when the world is facing geopolitical tensions and issues such as US tariffs.

The Finance Minister has already held discussions with several economists, trade unions, and labor organizations to prepare for the budget. These meetings are held every year before the budget.

In recent days, the government has also held discussions with representatives from sectors such as banking, hotels, IT, and startups. Discussions have also been held on promoting growth and increasing employment and income in the agriculture, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and manufacturing sectors.

Meanwhile, the country's largest industry body, CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), has offered four key recommendations for Budget 2026-27: controlling debt, transparency in government spending, raising more revenue, and managing expenditure judiciously.

According to CII, the government aims to keep the country's debt at around 50 per cent of GDP by FY 2031.

The organization says that if the central government's debt is kept at around 54.5 percent of GDP and the deficit at around 4.2 percent in the financial year 2027, then it will maintain confidence in the economy and will also support development.