In her last full budget before the next general elections, the finance minister had something for nearly everyone. But beyond the announcements, will it really move the needle?
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has handed Prime Minister Narendra Modi a Union Budget that could be his bazooka in the elections to nine state assemblies this year, and for the general elections next year. Presenting the last full budget before the country goes to the polls, she has given nearly everyone something to cheer about.
The markets reacted positively even as the finance minister was delivering her speech, but saw a sharp fall towards close owing to the shocks she delivered to the life insurance sector and the ongoing slide in the Adani group’s stocks. Overall, there was a sense …