Ashwini Vaishnaw calls Budget 2025 a big gift for middle class taxpayers

Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday, February 1, praised the Union Budget for the financial year 2025-26, describing it as a "big gift for the middle class". The Union Budget 2025-26 will put India on the path of growth and progress, highlighting several initiatives focused on areas such as farmers' productivity, research, and employment, said the Union Minister. These areas are in line with the Prime Ministers vision, he said.

IndiaAI Mission momentum  

Vaishnaw said the IndiaAI Mission is growing at an impressive pace, after the Finance Minister allocated an allocation of Rs 2,000 crore for the government's IndiaAI Mission for FY26, as against a revised allocation of Rs 173 crore for the current financial year. Initially, the IndiaAI Mission was awarded an allocation of Rs 551.8 crore for FY25. 

The IndiaAI Mission is an ambitious pan-India initiative aimed at building a robust AI ecosystem in the country.

Vaishnaw exuded confidence that the year 2025 will see the launch of the country's first indigenous semiconductor chips. 

Ease of Doing Business

The Union Minister said that reforms will lead to the country's development while boosting the ease of doing business.

The manufacturing of electronics and medical devices is set to double in the country, he said. 

The Budget earmarked an allocation of Rs 99,858.56 crore for the development, maintenance, and improvements in the country’s healthcare system, marking a 9.8 per cent increase from the current financial year.

Higher focus on railway safety  

The Railways Minister also said that the allocation will help in enhancing focus in the sector. 

The government approved a Budget allocation of Rs 2.52 lakh crore for the Railways for FY26, almost unchanged from the amount allocated for FY25.

He also said that 100 Amrit Bharat trains and 50 Vande Bharat trains will be added to the Railways network, and the department will also work on armours for 10,000 locomotives.

He also said that work on enhancing passenger comfort was in progress. 

10 out of 10 Budget

All in all, it is a "10 out of 10" Budget, said the Union Minister.

Catch key highlights of Budget 2025 here. For all other news, visit Zeebiz.com.