A strategic step, a boost for social sector — Pune Inc voices its support for Union Budget 2025

We, astatine the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) are precise blessed to invited this inaugural by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to gully lessons from the Startup India strategy to make 5 lakh women entrepreneurs by empowering them with loans of up to Rs 2 crore for the adjacent 5 years. DICCI was instrumental successful the Startup India strategy to make 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs, of which 1.25 lakh would beryllium from SC/ST communities and 1.25 lakh from women successful general.

There is simply a request to recognize the challenges of entrepreneurs successful the informal segment. We suggest that we marque different class successful the sanction of ‘nano entrepreneurs’ to assistance them. The thoroughfare vendors, nether the PM SVANidhi scheme, volition beryllium eligible for enhanced loans from banks, UPI-linked recognition cards with Rs 30,000 limit, and capacity-building support. Most of the thoroughfare vendors beryllium to SC/ST category, truthful this volition assistance them. For micro entrepreneurs, also, the budget has announced a recognition installation strategy for up to Rs 5 lakh. Overall, DICCI welcomes this fund arsenic it volition boost societal assemblage entrepreneurship and societal and fiscal inclusion.

— Milind Kamble, civilian technologist and entrepreneur who acceptable up DICCI successful 2005

The Union Budget 2025-26 is simply a strategical measurement guardant successful strengthening India’s startup ecosystem and positioning the state arsenic a person successful innovation. The Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds and extended taxation benefits nether Section 80-IAC, and the accrued outlay nether recognition warrant strategy volition supply much-needed fiscal relief, enabling startups to absorption connected scaling and R&D without contiguous profitability pressures. The absorption connected heavy tech, AI, and robotics is peculiarly encouraging, arsenic these areas volition thrust the adjacent question of planetary disruption.

For the drone industry, the 72% summation successful the PLI strategy allocation and a projected ₹2,000-3,000 crore defence procurement volition accelerate innovation successful the assemblage that is poised to disrupt applications successful information & surveillance, logistics and concern automation.

— Niharika Kolte Alekar, founder, Volar Alta

The latest fund is simply a large measurement guardant for India’s startup ecosystem. With accrued enactment for early-stage startups, taxation benefits, and a stronger propulsion for integer infrastructure, it’s wide that the authorities recognises the relation of innovation successful shaping the future. The hold of the incubation play to 5 years is simply a invited move, giving startups similar ours much clip to stabilise, innovate, and standard without contiguous fiscal pressure. Also the taxation cuts volition let our employees with further wealth successful the pocket.

— Vipul Joshi. laminitis & CEO, Boostmychild

The fund presents a forward-looking and balanced attack to economical growth, innovation, and sustainability. A large item is the idiosyncratic Income-Tax relief, which volition importantly summation disposable income for the mediate class, driving user spending crossed industries, including the electrical conveyance (EV) sector. We invited the government’s beardown propulsion for startups and innovation, peculiarly done the Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds for startups and the Deep Tech Fund of Funds, which volition alteration improvement successful EV technology, artillery advancements, and renewable energy.

Additionally, the summation successful recognition screen for startups from Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore is simply a important measurement toward ensuring that high-growth, technology-driven ventures person the indispensable superior to standard operations.

The fund besides makes a beardown committedness to EV manufacturing and localisation, with the exemption of Basic Customs Duty (BCD) connected 35 superior goods and captious earthy materials.

— Nilesh Bajaj, CEO, Vayve Mobility

— As told to Dipanita Nath