Overview

• The budget allocates $24 billion over five years for job creation, focusing on youth employment and small businesses.
• Significant tax revisions aim to benefit lower-income earners, with an estimated average annual saving of Rs17,500 per taxpayer.
• Special financial packages are announced for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, states governed by key coalition partners.
• Initiatives include a 12-month paid internship program for 10 million youth and incentives for new hires in the formal sector.
• Critics argue the measures are insufficient to address India's 9.2% unemployment rate and rising inequality.