India lowers fiscal deficit target to 4.9% of GDP for FY25
Adds details, graphic
MUMBAI, July 23 (Reuters) -The Indian government on Tuesday lowered its fiscal deficit target to 4.9% of GDP for the financial year ending March 2025, from 5.1% in the interim budget in February, aided by a hefty surplus transfer from the central bank and robust tax revenues.
The fiscal target was part of India's federal budget, announced on Tuesday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
The target signals the government's intention to remain fiscally prudent despite expectations it may ramp up spending on welfare programs following a weaker than anticipated election victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alliance in June.
A lower fiscal deficit will boost foreign investors' sentiment and improve India's chances of a sovereign rating update as it brings the country closer to its goal of narrowing the deficit to below 4.5% of GDP by fiscal year 2025/26.
India's budget gap stood at 5.8% of GDP in fiscal year 2024.
CONTEXT
A record surplus transfer of 2.11 trillion rupees ($25.3 billion) from the Reserve Bank of India, more than twice of what was projected in the interim budget in February, has helped the government narrow its fiscal deficit from the interim target.
MARKET REACTION
The Indian 10-year benchmark bond yield IN10YT=RR dropped 3 basis points to 6.9260% after the budget announcement while the Indian rupee rose 0.04% to 83.6225 against the U.S. dollar.
India's benchmark stock indices, the BSE Sensex .BSESN and the NSE Nifty 50 .NSEI, declined about 0.2% each.
GRAPHIC
India aims to trim its fiscal deficit https://reut.rs/4bSe8TT
Reporting by Jaspreet Kalra; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
