Overview
- The meeting began at 11 a.m. on December 30 at NITI Aayog with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and senior officials in attendance.
- NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery and CEO BVR Subrahmanyam joined eminent economists and sector experts for the discussions.
- The consultation is part of the final pre‑Budget exercise ahead of the Union Budget slated for presentation on February 1, 2026.
- Deliberations were expected to address exports, job creation, investment, skill development, women’s workforce participation, and agriculture, with an eye on Atmanirbharta and longer‑term transformation goals.
- Policy planning is taking into account geopolitical uncertainty and reports of a 50% US tariff on certain shipments from India, as highlighted in recent coverage.