Nirmala Sitharaman calls for delivery-focused governance in post-budget webinar

In a post-budget webinar on “Technology, Reforms and Finance for Viksit Bharat,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stressed the need for “delivery over declarations” and governance that is efficient, transparent, and citizen-centric. The session offered a detailed discussion on translating budget announcements into tangible outcomes, highlighting public investment, private participation, and institutional reforms.“The honorable Prime Minister also underscored the need to monitor the impact of reforms through robust grievance redress systems and suggested the development of a reform partnership charter, a shared result between government, industry, financial institutions, and the economy,” she noted, emphasizing coordination as key to effective execution.

Public investment and infrastructure

Sitharaman highlighted the importance of boosting public capital expenditure while de-risking infrastructure projects and strengthening banking. “Greater private investment through better risk sharing, project viability, and support—so you change the alignment, prioritize what is important,” she said.Stakeholders welcomed proposals such as focusing infrastructure development on critical projects and aligning the financial sector with the needs of a fast-growing economy. The proposed merger of PFC and REC was highlighted as a move to create a stronger institution for power sector financing, with attention to governance and integration.

Strengthening financial sector architecture

On financial markets, participants viewed recent announcements as steps toward improved capital mobilization and debt market development. Sitharaman emphasized careful management of CPSE asset monetization, clear tax treatment, and professional oversight. FDI reforms, she noted, should provide flexibility, digital ease, and policy clarity, while the expanded BIS route for individual investors was welcomed as a way to increase foreign participation.Stakeholders also stressed deepening the corporate bond market through incentive-based funding structures, stronger market infrastructure, and wider investor participation.

Tax reforms and ease of compliance

In the discussion on taxation, Sitharaman highlighted the need for simplicity and predictability. “These measures should be implemented in a simple, clear, trust-based manner, with rule-based systems, minimal discretion, and well-defined eligibility criteria,” she said. Smooth transition planning and procedural clarity were emphasized to make compliance easier, predictable, and dispute-free, especially for small taxpayers.

Outcome-oriented approach

The Finance Ministry will consolidate the insights from the webinar into an outcome-oriented summary with clear action points, specifying responsibilities and frameworks for implementation. “If we maintain the spirit of constructive engagement and execution, we can ensure that reforms are not only announced but experienced through better infrastructure, deeper markets, simpler compliance, and stronger institutions, with wider opportunities,” Sitharaman said, pointing toward a shared vision for India by 2040.