Budget 2025 Expectations Highlights: Focus On Simplifying GST And Boosting EV Growth

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Transforming India’s Electric Mobility Ecosystem

“With sustainability and the reduction of carbon footprints becoming critical priorities, the EV industry in India is witnessing unprecedented growth. The rising preference for e-scooters, e-bikes, and electric 3-wheelers as eco-friendly alternatives is rapidly gaining traction, particularly in metro cities.

As we approach the Union Budget 2025, we are optimistic about witnessing transformative reforms and policies that will shape the future of electric mobility in India. Addressing infrastructure gaps, supply chain inefficiencies, and high manufacturing costs must take center stage to make EVs more affordable and accessible to the masses said Mr. Anshul Gupta, MD, OPG Mobility.

Budget 2024-25 Expectations Live: Focus on Capital Gains Tax Reforms and Long-Term Investment Incentives

“Following the Union Budget 2024-25, the proposed reduction in long-term capital gains tax on unlisted shares to 12.5% is seen as a positive move, though some refinement is still needed. Listed share stocks, however, saw an increase in STCG to 20% from 15%, and LTCG tax was also raised to 12.5% from 10% to ensure uniform tax slabs.,” said Krishna Patwari, Founder and Managing Director of WWIPL.

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Focus on Simplifying GST and Boosting EV Growth

"We expect the Union Budget 2025 to address key challenges in helping India transition to EV and achieve its ambitious target of 30% EV penetration by 2030. However, this requires that the Union Budget 2025 addresses the challenges faced by both manufacturers and consumers. A big step towards the same would be simplifying the GST structure and having a blanket 5% GST across EVs, be it components or charging, etc," said Mr. Dinkar Agrawal, Founder, CTO & COO, Oben Electric.

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Focus on Investment in Emerging Technologies and Skilling for the Future

"As we approach Budget 2025, it is important for the government to focus on increasing investment in research and development for emerging technologies such as AI, 5G, and semiconductors. This will not only foster innovation but also attract top talent to India. Additionally, skilling initiatives focused on digital technologies will act as an important bridge to prepare our workforce for the future of work and address the rising demand for skilled professionals," said Rohan Bhargava, Co-Founder of CashKaro and EarnKaro.

Budget 2024 Expectations Live: Real Estate Sector Seeks Growth and Recovery Post-Pandemic

“The 2024 Union Budget is highly anticipated by the real estate sector as it strives to drive growth and recovery post-pandemic. Developers and homebuyers alike are hoping for increased incentives for affordable housing, along with further relaxation of GST norms and improved financing options. The budget is expected to unlock greater investment opportunities in infrastructure development, coupled with effective town planning for enhanced living standards. Sustainable and green construction practices will also pave the way for a progressive national policy”, said Amar Shah, Co-Founder of Golden Abodes.

Budget 2025 Expectations: Prioritize Financial Literacy and Empower Individuals

“As we approach the Union Budget 2025, there is a growing anticipation for reforms that prioritize financial literacy and empower individuals to take control of their financial futures. We believe this budget presents a unique opportunity to strengthen the financial foundation of the nation by democratizing access to financial education and fostering a culture of informed decision-making”, said Viplav majumdar, founder, planyourworld training academy.

Budget 2024-25 Expectations: Strengthening Digital Payments and Financial Inclusion

“The Union Budget 2025 should allocate more funds to incentivize the use of low value BHIM UPI-based payments and Rupay debit card. Bank and payment service provider, and NPCI typically incur a cost of nearly 0.25% of transaction value for processing a UPI P2M transaction. As UPI continues to rise exponentially, it is important for the payment ecosystem to invest in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), face recognition payments, and blockchain,” said Rahul Jain – CFO, NTT DATA Payment Services India.

Budget 2024-25 Expectations: Enhance India’s fintech ecosystem through innovation

"As we approach the Union Budget 2025, there is immense potential to strengthen India’s fintech ecosystem by fostering innovation, compliance, and financial inclusion.

India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, particularly the India Stack, has been instrumental in bridging gaps between urban and rural sectors. Expanding its capabilities in 2025—through tools like DigiLocker and ULI (Unified Lending Interface)—can unlock growth for underserved regions and drive innovation at scale," said Rohit Taneja, Founder & CEO of Decentro.

Budget 2024-25 Expectations: Elder Care and Healthcare for Seniors

“As India’s elderly population is anticipated to surge to 319 million by 2050, there is a pressing  need for policy measures to align with the prerequisites of elderly and their families. In this  context, the precedence to overall senior care and elder-friendly infrastructure and holistic  measures focusing on emotional, social, and physical well-being will be welcome from Union  Budget 2024-25. Focused investment and relevant guidelines on elder-related conditions like dementia and  Parkinson’s care and management, and eldercare facilities will be beneficial as these  investments will contribute to not only building a sustainable and inclusive ecosystem but also  promoting innovations in elder care" said Neha Sinha, Dementia Specialist, Co-Founder & CEO, Epoch  Elder Care.

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Hospitality Sector Seeks Growth-Driven Reforms

“As we await Budget 2025, we hope for a plan that drives growth, prioritizes tourism and healthcare, and supports sustainability. Investments in wellness infrastructure, green initiatives, and job creation are key. A reduction in GST from 18% to 12% for hotels with room rates above Rs. 7,500 would provide a significant boost to both domestic and inbound tourism,” said Ashwani Gandhi, CEO of Niraamaya Life.

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Experts call for GST rollback and streamlined compliance for waste management sector

“The waste management sector is at a crossroads due to the recent GST revisions. The hike from 5% to 18% has introduced significant challenges, particularly for businesses striving to innovate and contribute to sustainability goals. We urge the government to consider rolling back the GST hike in the upcoming budget. Additionally, while the reverse charge mechanism (RCM) is a solution, it has added compliance complexity, especially for SMEs. Streamlining RCM further or exempting critical industries like waste management would be helpful, enabling businesses to focus on their core mission,” said Mr. Nimit Aggarwal, Founder and Managing Director, EcoEx.

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Experts call for stronger support and tech-driven growth for startups

“As the startup ecosystem continues to evolve, particularly in AI and emerging technologies, the upcoming budget presents a pivotal opportunity to drive innovation and growth. We hope to see enhanced incentives for AI research and development, as well as funding schemes tailored to support startups building transformative AI solutions across industries. We also expect more reforms that foster robotics and unmanned startups, along with those driving advancements in agriculture and other critical sectors. Simplified regulatory frameworks, tax benefits, and infrastructure support can empower startups to scale faster," said Ashish Bhatia, Founder & CEO, India Accelerator.

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Experts call for stronger support and tech-driven growth for MSMEs

 “As we anticipate the upcoming Union Budget in February, we remain optimistic about strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through innovative technological interventions and enhanced financial support mechanisms.Considering the crucial role they play in economic growth and employment generation, it is vital to streamline some key processes such as tender procurement, facilitate easier access to bank guarantees, and expand dedicated MSME loan frameworks to enable them to realize their full potential” said Mr. Anuj Kumbhat, Founder & CEO, WRMS. 

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Introduce Separate Tax Deduction For Term Insurance

Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO Bajaj Allianz Life has urged the government to introduce separate tax deduction for term insurance and extending the tax deduction on life insurance premium under new tax regime as well.

"These measures will empower individuals to build robust financial safety nets and advance the vision of 'Insurance for All by 2047’, thereby fostering long-term financial security and inclusivity," he said.
 

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Schemes Like PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana To Boost Renewable Energy Manufacturing

UvolveX Co-founder Vedant said, the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, with subsidies of up to Rs 78,000 for rooftop solar installations and free electricity for 1 crore households, has seen immense interest, with over 1.28 crore registrations and 14 lakh applications. 

"Given this success, there is hope that the upcoming budget will extend support for renewable energy manufacturing. Expectations are high for the reinstatement of customs duty exemptions on critical components like solar glass and tinned copper, which expired in September 2024. Continuing incentives for key inputs like silicon wafers and EVA could further boost domestic solar panel production and align with India's ambitious green energy goals," he added.

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Grant Priority Sector Status To Eligible Gold Loan NBFCs

George Alexander Muthoot, MD of Muthoot Finance said government should cushion and offer maximum benefit to customers by urging the government to grant eligible gold loan NBFCs with ‘priority sector status’. 

"We believe that providing priority sector status to eligible gold loans NBFCs will be a step forward in driving financial inclusion as it majorly impacts the small borrowers whose borrowing needs are frequently less than Rs 50,000. We also propose for a ‘Gold linked credit line via UPI’ that can go a long way in helping households/small business owners meet their financing needs and monetise idle gold jewellery. Once the NBFCs are allowed to link with the UPI payment system, this will act as a secured credit that would be extended by NBFCs at a lower interest rate (12%-18%) compared to the high interest rates (around 36%) charged by credit cards."

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Reduce GST on health insurance from 18% to 5%

"This year from the upcoming union budget, we are hoping for a reduction in GST on health insurance from 18% to 5%, which could make coverage more affordable for millions of Indians. With only 37% of the population currently insured, this move would encourage people to opt for higher sum insured policies, offering better financial security amid rising healthcare costs. While completely removing GST might strain insurers, a reduced rate would balance affordability for consumers and industry sustainability," Rahul Mohata, Co-Founder and COO, Ideal Insurance said .

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Rationalise STT rates on F&O

"This time the union budget should make an attempt to restore these two things; the currency derivatives markets should be opened up as this is critical for the Indian economy to become a Developed Economy. To maintain the liquidity in the capital market, the government should rationalise the STT rates on futures, options and other instruments. It may probably result in loss of revenue for the government to some extent, but what it will be more than compensated by the new inflows that will come in by way of increased liquidity and by way of increased participation," said Founder and CEO, SAMCO Securities. 

Budget 2025 Expectations Live: Fintech Demands Digital Policy

The upcoming Union Budget hangs in the balance of our fintech dreams. We desperately need policies that truly unlock India's digital potential, said 

Rohith Reji, Co-founder and CEO at Neokred. 

 The DPDP Act, while well-intentioned, risks stifling the very innovation we're trying to foster. We need a regulatory framework that balances consumer protection with the freedom to experiment, to push boundaries, and to build a truly inclusive and transformative fintech ecosystem, he added.