Budget likely to focus on debt goals & fiscal deficit

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THE UNION BUDGET 2026 is expected to focus on fiscal deficit control and debt sustainability as part of the government's broader Viksit Bharat roadmap, Mahendra Dev, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) said on Saturday.

"The budget is part of the Viksit Bharat roadmap and the drafters will stick to the fiscal deficit. The debt to GDP is the main indicator, so they will stick to that," Dev said on the sidelines of an event in the capital.

HE SAID INDIA has made steady progress on fiscal consolidation since the pandemic with the fiscal deficit reducing from about 9% during the COVID period to around 4.8% this year. The government is targeting a fiscal deficit of about 4.4% going forward.