Sun Feb 02 00:15:00 IST 2025: ## India’s 2025 Budget Focuses on Inclusive Growth and Job Creation

**New Delhi, February 2, 2025** – Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her eighth consecutive budget today, outlining a series of initiatives aimed at boosting economic growth, generating jobs, and fostering inclusivity. The budget, met with widespread positive response, emphasizes ten key areas, including inclusive growth and employment-led development.

Key highlights include:

* **Investment in Human Capital:** A significant increase in medical education seats (10,000 additional seats over the next five years), the establishment of Day Care Cancer Centres in all district hospitals, and an expansion of the list of custom-duty exempted medicines. Furthermore, 10,000 fellowships for technological research will be provided at IITs and IISc. Initiatives like Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 will strengthen child nutrition, while 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs will be set up in government schools. Broadband connectivity will be extended to all government secondary schools and primary health centers in rural areas.

* **Technological Advancement:** The budget allocates ₹500 crore for a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Education and will digitize Indian language books through the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme. Five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling will be developed with global expertise.

* **Job Creation and Entrepreneurship:** A new scheme will provide term loans of up to ₹2 crore to five lakh new business owners over the next five years, specifically targeting first-time entrepreneurs, women, and individuals from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This initiative aligns with the government’s “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) vision by 2047.

R. Nandini, Chairperson of CII’s Southern Region, lauded the budget, stating that its announcements embody the government’s commitment to empowering the economy, creating jobs, and driving sustainable growth. The budget builds upon the Economic Survey’s emphasis on empowering citizens through education, healthcare, and skill development, aligning the workforce with global demands.

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