The 2023 Union budget is just days away and there are many expectations from all and sundry that this election night budget will deliver a growth spurt.
Even more so as the world stares into recession, a war between Russia and Ukraine has been raging for almost a year, and the post-pandemic world is witnessing a reshuffle of the geopolitical equations with inward-looking politics.
With today’s job specialization and increased use of technology tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) across all industries, it is important to have a highly skilled workforce.
dr Yaj Medury, Vice Chancellor of Mahindra University, says: “The value of developing cognitive thinking, problem-solving and managerial skills can hardly be overstated. The 2023-24 Union budget must ensure that education receives the financial support it needs to drive innovation and bridge the talent and skills gap in India.”
When it comes to talent, there must be a particular focus on women, given their unique economic role and the need to narrow the gender gap in our workforce.
Neha Bagaria, Founder and CEO of JobsForHer, says, “The government should focus on expanding the domestic economy and creating new job opportunities, with a particular focus on building the female economy.” She suggests the government also consider should offer tax breaks to organizations that are hiring more women, and develop strategies to streamline equal pay for men and women.”
While skill development requires a lot of attention, climate change is not far behind. The industry looks to the Union budget for steps to combat the climate crisis.
Prateek Kanakia, PhD, Chairman and Founder of TheGreenBillions Limited says: “We need to tackle climate change with clean energy and we expect more action in the budget around climate finance and mobilizing more resources by increasing the Production Linked Incentive allocation (PLI). Program to promote domestic manufacturing of environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions.”
Clean energy is a key enabler today, and expanding the use of natural gas via City Gas Distribution (CGD) will add to the effort.
Sandeep Trehan, President, Marketing & Business Development at THINK Gas, says, “The success of natural gas expansion in all regions depends on the ability of CGD companies to create new customer experiences. It is important that success stories about using natural gas and reducing emissions are shared with everyone. Natural gas is an opportunity that will change the mindset of customers who choose clean and green fuel.”
Another important area is mapping. In the digital age, maps are not only the vehicle for faster e-commerce delivery and street navigation, but also in agriculture, defense, aerospace and more.
Says Agendra Kumar, MD, Esri India: “The government announced a forward-looking National Geospatial Policy in December 2022 with the aim of making India a leader in the geospatial space. Various government entities have been identified in the Data Creation and Management Policy. In addition to strengthening the geo-infrastructure, politicians are also talking about the creation of a national digital twin. These initiatives will only materialize through adequate funding and this is the expectation from the Union budget 2023.”
All eyes and ears are now on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who will present the 2023-24 Union Budget on February 1st.
Source: IANS
Comments are closed.