The FICCI - Dhruva Advisors Survey stated today that Union Budget for fiscal 2021-22 will be presented in the shadow of COVID-19 pandemic. With the world's largest immunization program currently underway in the country, time is ripe to further accelerate efforts to reinvigorate the economy. The upcoming Budget must therefore focus on creating demand, encouraging infrastructure spends and increasing outlays for the social sector. These are the top three macro-economic themes, which members of India Inc would like to see in the upcoming Budget.

Additionally, with the global value chains being disrupted, innovation and R&D becoming the key differentiators of growth along with an array of new digital technologies. India Inc would like the government to continue with its policy focus on strengthening the manufacturing ecosystem, promoting research and development, and incentivizing futuristic technologies in the upcoming Budget.

While the growth trajectory has turned positive and the economy is looking up, the need for continuous support from the government remains. Demand has improved in a few sectors of the economy, but we need to watch this trend to see if the improvement continues in a sustained manner. There are many other sectors that still require continued government support in the recovery process. Given this, strengthening demand should be a clear priority and the tax policy should be used to meet this objective.