Sat Feb 01 18:28:20 UTC 2025: ## Madurai Trade Bodies Express Disappointment Over Budget 2025

**Madurai, February 1, 2025** – Trade bodies in Madurai expressed widespread disappointment with the Union Budget 2025, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday. They criticized the budget’s lack of substantial benefits for Tamil Nadu.

N. Jegatheesan, president of the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called the budget “disappointing” for its omission of Tamil Nadu-specific initiatives. S. Rethinavelu, president of the Agri and All Trade Chamber, echoed this sentiment, stating that the budget failed to address key recommendations from the Economic Survey, particularly concerning the current economic slowdown. He emphasized the need for deregulation to boost the MSME sector and advocated for special income tax rates to stimulate manufacturing and employment.

A. Kodeeswaran, president of the Madurai District Tiny and Small-Scale Industries Association, urged the Reserve Bank of India to ensure banks meet MSME loan demands under the CGTMSE scheme. He also called for increased infrastructure subsidies for new industrial estates and solar panel subsidies for MSMEs. While welcoming the increase in the CGTMSE loan limit and startup loan subsidies, he highlighted the need for further support.

S.V.S.S. Velshankar, president of the Tamil Nadu Food Grains Merchants Association, acknowledged positive aspects such as the Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana and the focus on domestic lithium battery manufacturing. However, he expressed disappointment over the absence of new metro train proposals and funding for previously announced schemes, including the Madurai-Thoothukudi Industrial Corridor.

Academics from Lady Doak College offered mixed reactions. While noting positive aspects like the expansion of medical education and support for MSMEs, they also pointed out the need for more comprehensive agricultural development initiatives to achieve food security and sustainable development goals.

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