Mr. Samarnath Jha, CEO - Accex Supply Chain Pvt Ltd :
" Uplifting consumption seems to be the primary theme of this budget and that is highly welcome. For the supply chain and logistics sector too, this budget brought in many transformational announcements. Allocation of Rs 10 lakh crore for Infrastructure development, over 30% higher than last year will give a substantial fillip to all mediums of transportation and improve overall supply chain efficiency. Secondly, digitizing the customs processes and introducing licensed Goods and Services Providers to facilitate access to ICEGATE portal will further ensure speed and operational efficiency. Lastly, transforming the Indian Post into a large public logistics organization will give access to the world's widest network of over 1,70,000 post offices. The scale and size of this is monumental and will bring huge benefits to MSMEs and local businesses across the length and breadth of the country."
Ms. Radhika Kalia, Managing Director at RLG Systems India Private Limited:
The Union Budget 2025 clearly envisions a cleaner, self-reliant energy future. With the National Manufacturing Mission and focus on enabling domestic production of solar PV cells, EV batteries, and wind turbines, the intent to strengthen clean energy and mobility is evident. The customs duty exemption on lithium-ion batteries will lower costs and is expected to accelerate EV adoption. Enhanced charging infrastructure and state incentives are likely to support this transition. The Nuclear Energy Mission's ₹20,000 crore allocation for small modular reactors (SMRs) underpins India's commitment to long-term energy security and sustainability. The Union Budget 2025 may indeed be seen as a strong step forward towards green industrial growth and a low-carbon economy.
Mr. Manish Jaiswal, Managing Director and CEO of Grihum Housing Finance Limited :
This budget is not an isolated event but the culmination of seven years of economic stability, where each budget builds upon the last in a cascading manner. Persistent inflation and high interest rates have constrained disposable income, but the newly announced tax incentives will inject liquidity, revitalize consumer sentiment, and stimulate both urban and rural demand—particularly among the middle and lower-income groups—while also strengthening the nation's credit character.
Structural reforms from past budgets are now converging, particularly in infrastructure, housing, and financial inclusion, benefiting both SMEs and self-made individuals. In housing, PMAY Urban 2.0, the revitalized interest subsidy scheme, and the rollout of the mortgage credit guarantee—announced last year but taking effect now—along with the operationalization of the RMBS platform, will accelerate real housing construction in India. This will drive employment, economic activity across 400 allied housing and building material and allied industries, and fuel both urbanization and 'rurbanization.' As a result, the top 100 cities will witness immense expansion beyond municipal limits, easing congestion in major metros.
The government has sent a strong message: it aims to trust, empower, and simplify—reducing the friction of taxes and disputes while fostering an ecosystem of entrepreneurship. With an expanded focus on PLI across new sectors and a range of credit and liquidity support mechanisms, the baton now passes to states and entrepreneurs to capitalize on these opportunities and do the much needed heavy lifting. The Centre has laid the foundation—it is now time for action.
By Mr. Ajay Singh, Principal, The Scindia School, Gwalior:
The Union Budget 2025, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, brings exciting opportunities for the education sector in India, focusing on making education more accessible and improving its quality. The government is committed to better infrastructure, expanding digital learning, and promoting skill development, as seen with initiatives like PM SHRI. With the goal of achieving 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by 2030, the education sector is set for major growth. However, challenges such as teacher training and ensuring equal access to quality education, especially in underserved areas, need to be addressed. The focus on strengthening school education and improving digital connectivity is a step in the right direction towards a more inclusive and future-ready education system. Notably, the 2025 Union Budget's transformative approach to education includes the Bharatiya Bhasha Pushtak Scheme, providing digital Indian language books to preserve linguistic heritage and enhance accessibility. This initiative aligns with the vision of nurturing globally informed, heritage-rooted students, recognizing language as a bridge to culture and identity.
The Union Budget 2025 has introduced a series of reforms aimed at strengthening India's MSME sector, focusing on easier access to credit, financial inclusion, and growth opportunities. Key measures include an enhanced credit guarantee cover, doubling the limit for micro and small enterprises from ₹5 crore to ₹10 crore, and an increase in investment and turnover classification thresholds, enabling more businesses to qualify for MSME benefits.
One of the standout announcements is the ₹2 crore loan scheme for first-time women entrepreneurs, a step toward bridging the gender credit gap and fostering inclusive economic growth. Additionally, a ₹5 lakh customized credit card for registered micro-enterprises has been introduced to support their working capital needs.
Commenting on the budget, Manish Shah, MD & CEO, Godrej Capital, said: "The recent budget measures reaffirm the government's commitment to strengthening the MSME ecosystem, a critical pillar of India's economy. By enhancing credit guarantees and increasing classification thresholds, these reforms will unlock new opportunities for small businesses, enabling them to scale operations with greater financial flexibility. NBFCs and HFCs will play a crucial role in ensuring these benefits reach MSMEs efficiently, bridging credit gaps and driving financial inclusion.
Particularly commendable is the focused push toward women entrepreneurship. The introduction of a dedicated scheme for first-time women entrepreneurs from underserved communities is a game-changer, fostering inclusive growth and financial independence. Additionally, providing term loans to high-performing MSME exporters will fuel competitiveness and global expansion.
By improving access to credit, reducing borrowing costs for startups, and introducing tailored financial solutions for micro-enterprises, these initiatives collectively create a more resilient and future-ready MSME sector. With their agility and deep market expertise, NBFCs and HFCs will be instrumental in supporting small businesses and homebuyers alike, strengthening India's journey toward self-reliance and sustained economic progress."
With these reforms, the government has set the stage for MSMEs to expand, innovate, and compete globally, reinforcing their role as a key driver of India's economic growth.
Mr. Suman Chowdhury, Executive Director & Chief Economist, Acuité Ratings & Research:
The dominant theme in the Union Budget 2025-25 has been to provide a significant boost to consumption in the Indian economy through personal income tax cuts and higher disposable incomes of the middle class. However, Acuité Research also believes that the budget has mooted a slew of measures to expedite private sector investments, a critical element towards Viksit Bharat 2027. While maintaining the thrust on infrastructure development, it also continued to provide increasing support to the MSME and the agricultural sector. Last but not least, the commitment to fiscal consolidation has been maintained with the fiscal deficit pegged at 4.8% (RE) and 4.4% (BE) for FY25 and FY26 respectively.
Overall, we believe that the Union Budget of Feb'2025 is a major consumption boosting budget, which should increase private consumption demand and push up the GDP growth that has moderated to 6.4% (RE) in FY25. At the same time, it continues to lay the building blocks required to take the Indian economy towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
Ajit Isaac, Chairman, Quess Corp on Union Budget 2025-26:
"The Union Budget 2025-26 made efforts to foster employment, skilling, and workforce innovation at scale. The expansion of credit guarantees and increasing the turnover and investment limits for MSMEs, coupled with structured incentives for entrepreneurship, will empower businesses to scale and create sustainable jobs. Issuing identity cards and registering gig and platform workers on e-Shram is a step toward building a more inclusive and resilient workforce. Equally significant is the government's push for deep-tech funding and AI skilling, which will equip professionals with future-ready capabilities. The introduction of a National Framework for GCCs will drive strategic workforce expansion into tier-2 cities, allowing India to strengthen its position as a global talent hub. As an industry leader in workforce solutions, Quess is committed to enabling this transformation by bridging the gap between talent supply and industry demand, ensuring businesses have access to skilled professionals in an evolving job landscape. We look forward to playing an important role in helping India's workforce and enterprises thrive in this new era of economic growth."
Mr. Sushant Banerji, Founder & CEO, Orthotech "The Union Budget 2025 reflects a strong commitment to advancing India's healthcare landscape, and its emphasis on medical innovation, accessibility, and medical tourism is highly encouraging. The 'Heal in India' initiative, with its focus on private-sector partnerships, capacity building, and streamlined visa norms, will further establish India as a global hub for advanced orthopaedic care. The exemption of basic customs duty on 36 lifesaving drugs is a welcome step, offering much-needed relief to patients battling cancer, rare diseases, and other severe chronic illnesses. By reducing the financial burden on patients, this initiative will improve access to critical treatments and enhance overall healthcare affordability. At Orthotech, we support these measures and look forward to contributing to a healthcare ecosystem that prioritizes innovation and patient well-being. With a collective push toward accessibility and excellence, we remain committed to providing world-class orthopaedic solutions that empower individuals to lead active, pain-free lives."
Akash Keshav, Co-founder and CEO of Sprih, a breakthrough Carbon Emission: "We applaud the Union Budget 2025-26 for its strong dedication to sustainable manufacturing and climate responsibility. Being a sustainability focused organization, we truly appreciate the launch of the Manufacturing Mission—focused on clean technology and the enhancement of domestic capabilities in areas such as solar PV cells, EV batteries, and wind turbines. The government's focus on sustainable manufacturing also reflects in other areas, including 'toys' as the country plans to become a major exporter. The BCD exemption for "35 new capital goods needed in EV battery production" is another significant step in strengthening the local production of lithium-ion batteries. These efforts would greatly contribute to a greener and more self-sufficient India."
Sachidanand Upadhyay, MD, Lord's Mark Industries Limited:
"The National Manufacturing Mission announced in the Union Budget 2025 is a significant step towards bolstering India's clean tech manufacturing ecosystem. By enhancing domestic production of EV batteries, solar PV modules, wind turbines, and grid-scale batteries, this initiative will reduce dependency on imports and strengthen India's position in the global renewable energy supply chain. The move complements the existing PLI schemes and will encourage backward integration, enabling Indian manufacturers to scale up operations efficiently. At the Renewable Energy arm of Lord's Mark Industries, we are committed to leveraging these policy-driven opportunities to accelerate innovation, localize clean energy solutions, and contribute to India's transition towards a sustainable and self-reliant future. Aligning with India's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, Lord's Mark Industries is contributing significantly to this vision, recently securing a project to set up 300 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects in Uttar Pradesh."
Saurav Kasera, Co-Founder and CEO, Clirnet and DocTube:
Increasing 75000 medical seats is good in the next 5 years but attention also needs to be paid to enhancing the quality of the education and creating good employment opportunities for doctors. Special focus on how they can be incentivized to practice is more rural areas to create a more accessible, equitable and affordable healthcare ecosystem.
Also, setting up day care Onco centers in over 400 district hospitals is a much needed step. But proper coordination between the state and the central governments will be critical for effective functioning and providing maximum benefit to patients.
Nirmit Parikh, Founder & CEO, apna.co:
"We welcome the Union Budget 2025, which recognizes MSMEs and SMBs as growth drivers, accounting for 30% of the GDP and employing 110 million people today. Success in these is paramount to achieving the $5 trillion India economy vision.
On apna.co, SMBs posted 9 lakh jobs in 2024, reaffirming their role as major employment generators. Additionally, 45% of SMBs on Apna used AI for hiring, highlighting a shift toward tech-driven recruitment. The Budget's initiatives—enhanced credit guarantee cover, higher investment limits for MSMEs, and streamlined compliance—address key challenges like overregulation and limited access to finance. The ₹5 lakh crore Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme and the ₹50,000 crore MSME Self-Reliant India Fund will further support business growth.
Investments in skill development, AI in education, and IIT infrastructure will future-proof the workforce. A thriving MSME sector remains India's economic backbone, driving job creation and long-term prosperity"
Amit Relan, Co- Founder and CEO, mFilterIt:
The push for AI innovation and MSME empowerment marks a transformative shift in the country's digital and economic landscape. The establishment of AI Centres of Excellence and deep tech initiatives will accelerate innovation, enhance industry capabilities, and reshape the way businesses operate. For MSMEs, increased access to technology and financial support will drive competitiveness and open new growth avenues.
However, as AI adoption expands, ensuring transparency, trust, and ethical implementation will be critical. The future of India's digital economy depends not just on technological advancements but on building a responsible, secure, and inclusive ecosystem where businesses of all sizes can thrive.