Pre-Budget Expectation- Rahul Singhal, Subject Matter Expert

The government would look to accelerate the process of monetization of public assets / divestment of stakes in PSUs and calibrated spending on social welfare and health on the one hand, and capex (including Infra and Railways) on the other. The focus should be on implementing the policies announced so far, meeting divestment targets and expedite the projects underway so that resources can be deployed to accelerate infrastructure investments.

Further to boost real estate, the government should focus on providing more liquidity to the taxpayers by raising the ceiling on standard deduction, rebate on home loan interest and cap on home loan disbursement. We also expect input tax GST credit for developers, reduction in stamp duty and registration charges which make a sizeable difference to the cost of a project, thereby boosting home buyers’ sentiment and encouraging them to go in for property purchase. The revival of the real estate sector is imperative for the growth of GDP as well as additional employment generation and reviving more demand for related sectors like steel, cement, transportation etc.