Sat Feb 01 22:52:11 UTC 2025: ## India’s Budget 2025: Nuclear Push and Agricultural Reforms Amid Market Uncertainty

**NEW DELHI** – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her eighth consecutive Union Budget today, unveiling a ₹20,000 crore ($2.4 billion USD) mission to bolster India’s nuclear energy capacity to 100 GW by 2047. The budget also includes significant agricultural reforms and a new pulse production mission. However, the announcement comes amidst market anxieties surrounding foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows and concerns about the budget’s impact on the middle class.

While the government touts the budget as beneficial to the middle class, with no income tax up to ₹12 lakh ($145,000 USD), opposition parties disagree, claiming the budget offers little relief. The market’s reaction to the budget remains uncertain, prompting questions about whether the FM can successfully address investor concerns. Other headlines include a proposal to boost duty-free shopping at airports and a growing concern over a neurological disorder spreading in Pune. The budget also follows an economic survey linking poor diet to mental health issues.

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