Bilkul Bazaar
Ahmedabad | 01 Feb 2026
Commenting on the Union Budget, Dr. Savan Godiawala, former Partner at Deloitte and Visiting Faculty at IIM Ahmedabad and IIT, said the Finance Minister has maintained the broad fiscal rhythm seen in recent years.
He noted that the fiscal deficit has been contained at 4.3 per cent, while infrastructure spending—already at elevated levels—has been increased by ₹1 lakh crore to ₹12 lakh crore. “The continued emphasis on infrastructure is encouraging and supports long-term growth,” he said.
Dr. Godiawala also welcomed the higher defence allocation, citing ongoing stress along India’s borders. However, he expressed concern over declining net foreign direct investment. “While incentives for data centres are a step in the right direction, they may not be sufficient. More proactive measures could have been undertaken to address the slowdown in FDI,” he observed.
Overall, Dr. Godiawala described the Budget as “a reasonably good one,” balancing fiscal prudence with growth-oriented spending.