Two key measures were announced for the insurance sector in the budget. One was reducing the TDS or tax deducted at source on payouts (payments by the life insurer concerned) in respect of life insurance policies from 5% to 2%. This amendment will come into force on October 1, 2024.

Likewise, the Budget has proposed to reduce TDS from 5% – 2% on the Payment of insurance commission. The amendment will take effect from April 1, 2025.

Watch: Budget 2024 | What’s in it for women and children?

Finance Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Union Budget 2024-25 carried an allocation of more than Rs 3 lakh crore for schemes benefitting women and girls and promoting women-led development, during her presentation of the Budget in the Lok Sabha on July 23.

To encourage the participation of women in the workforce, the government will tie up with industry to set up working women hostels as well as creche-facilities, she said. Further, this industry-government partnership is also expected to launch women-specific skilling programmes and promote market access to women-led SHG enterprises.

Under urban development, the government has encouraged the moderation of high stamp duty by all States for urban-related development. It has asked for a further lowering of duties for properties purchased by women.

Watch: Budget 2024 | What’s in it for MSMEs and manufacturing sector?

The MSMEs and labour-intensive manufacturing sector have a reason to cheer as the budget presented by the Finance Minister on Tuesday has a special focus on these units. The sector is going through a crisis phase for multiple reasons. The export market is just reviving for sectors such as textiles, and MSMEs in the manufacturing space have been asking for various support measures. 

The incentives announced for new jobs are expected to bring down the labour cost by 2% or so. Changes in customs duty for copper and ferrous scrap will give a 10%–12% cost advantage across the supply chain, say foundry owners. The government has proposed a credit guarantee scheme to facilitate term loans to MSMEs for the purchase of machinery and equipment without collateral or a third-party guarantee. The limit of Mudra loans will be enhanced to ₹20 lakh from the current ₹10 lakh, and MSMEs will get access to credit during the stress period through a guarantee from a government promoted fund.

Watch: Budget 2024 | What is in store for labour?

In her seventh budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced three new employee-linked incentive schemes in the Union Budget for 2024-25. The three schemes, which are part of the Prime Minister’s package, will align with enrolment in the Employee Provident Fund Organisation and focus on the recognition of first-time employees, as well as support to both employers and employees.

The schemes will facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a five-year period with a central outlay of ₹ 2 lakh crore. The Centre will provide ‘Employment Linked Incentives’ to employers based on enrolment in the Employees Provident Fund Organisation. One of the major proposal among this is to provide internship opportunities in 500 top companies to one crore youth for 12 months.

Students will get an internship allowance of ₹ 5,000 per month along with a one-time assistance of ₹ 6,000. Companies will have to bear the training cost and 10 per cent of the internship cost from their CSR funds. Many have interpreted this as the next Agniveer scheme given the casual nature of this scheme. Trade unions also seem to be not happy with the budget as their long pending demand of restoration of Old Pension Scheme is ignored this time too.

As of the end of March 2024, NBFCs had a CRAR of 26.6%, a GNPA ratio of 4.0% and a return on assets (RoA) of 3.3%. (Representational image only)

Ahead of the upcoming Union Budget scheduled to be presented on July 23, the Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) sector is expecting enhanced financial inclusion and reinforcing digitalisation efforts to sustain the sector’s growth.

Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC), which represents the industry, has suggested establishing a special refinancing body, just as the government has created National Housing Bank (NHB) for housing finance companies.

On the other hand, the sector this year has seen stringent regulatory action from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Additionally, speaking at an event in May this year, RBI Deputy governor J. Swaminathan cautioned the NBFCs not to be overly reliant on algo-based credit models. However, the apex bank, in its 29th Financial Stability Report (FSR) said that the NBFCs are well capitalised, giving an edge to the financial sector in the country.

As of the end of March 2024, NBFCs had a CRAR of 26.6%, a GNPA ratio of 4.0% and a return on assets (RoA) of 3.3%.

“The growth of the Indian NBFC industry is significantly influenced by robust financial inclusion, consumer demand and improving trade balances. The upcoming Union Budget should emphasise enhancing financial inclusion across the country, implementing policy reforms, and reinforcing digitalisation efforts to sustain the sector’s growth.

Financial and digital inclusion will enhance credit access by increasing convenience and reducing turnaround times,” said Rakesh Kaul, CEO, Clix Capital.

“The government must consider incentivising and promoting such measures so that NBFCs can carefully take advantage of global integration, ensuring sustainable growth and financial inclusion across India’s diverse economic landscape,” said Jitendra Tanwar, Managing Director & CEO of Namdev Finvest Private Limited.

He further added that the government must consider incentivising and promoting such measures so that NBFCs can carefully take advantage of global integration, ensuring sustainable growth and financial inclusion across India’s diverse economic landscape.

Expressing his confidence in the Budget this year, Krishan Gopal, CFO, Aye Finance, said, “I believe this Budget will lay the groundwork for India’s vision of development by 2047. We expect the Government to recognise the efforts of NBFC lenders that are transforming micro-enterprise lending in India by providing customised credit lines, announcing schemes and subsidies and even considering classifying them as Priority Sector Lenders.”

“Despite strong competition from banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have shown remarkable resilience in retaining a significant market share. To drive further growth, we seek policies that promote responsible credit utilisation, enhance access to credit for underserved communities, and foster financial literacy among customers,” said Mathew Muthoottu, MD Muthoottu Mini Financiers Limited.

”NBFCs are expecting the Budget to carry provisions that spur consumption, such as via tax relief etc.; implement initiatives that enable growth of NBFCs serving priority sector clients; and undertake widespread campaigns aimed at inculcating good credit behaviour amongst the country’s growing borrower base,” opined Neha Juneja, Co-founder and CEO, IndiaP2P, on her Budget expectations.

Anticipating the allocation of additional funds for the sector, Pavitra Walvekar, the CEO of Kudos Finance, which is based out of Pune, said, “Key initiatives should include the allocation of additional funds to improve liquidity for NBFCs and the introduction of regulatory reforms to streamline operations and enhance transparency. These steps will bolster credit availability, particularly for underserved segments like MSMEs, and promote financial stability in the long run.”

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Congress on July 12 said the forthcoming Budget must address fundamental questions such as why private investment is “very sluggish” and private consumption is not picking up as the party dismissed claims that economic growth is accelerating sharply and large numbers of jobs being created.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha on July 23.

Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh said, “The non-biological PM’s cheerleaders and drumbeaters claim that economic growth is accelerating sharply and that jobs are being created in large numbers. But if this was the case — and it is not — Why is private investment, a key engine of economic growth, still so very sluggish recording a 20-year low during April-June 2024? Why is private consumption, another key engine of economic growth, not picking up except at the high end,” Mr. Ramesh asked.

“Why have household savings plummeted to record lows and household debt shot up to record highs? Why have rural wages continued to fall and why is the wage share of national income declining?” he said, adding, why is manufacturing as a share of GDP at a record low and still decreasing? Why has the informal sector lost 17 lakh jobs in the last seven years? Why did unemployment reach a 45-year peak, with unemployment for young graduates at 42%?” the Congress general secretary said.

“These are fundamental questions that the forthcoming Budget will have to address while the Finance Minister sings praises of the non-biological PM,” Mr. Ramesh said.

On Thursday, the BJP claimed that around 12.5 crore jobs were created in the last 10 years of the Modi government and cited the latest Reserve Bank of India report to assert the creation of “five crore jobs in 2023-24 alone”.

Several experts have urged the government to provide tax relief to the common man to boost consumption and take steps to check inflation and accelerate economic growth.

The economy has recorded a growth rate of 8.2% in 2023-24. Earlier in February, Ms. Sitharaman presented an Interim Budget for 2024-25 in view of the Lok Sabha elections.