
Budget 2025: Cheers for health, tax cuts, more demands for business, education
Cricket and the Budget—there are few things that can bring the entire family together in front of the TV these days like these two can. Yesterday’s Budget broadcast brought not one, but four families together as they watched with bated breath to see what Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had planned for Indian citizens’ fortunes in 2025.
The four families—spanning three generations, from senior citizens to middle-aged citizens to teenaged student—gathered in the Malad West residence of Chirag Chauhan, the 39-year-old survivor of the 2006 train blasts that killed 189 people and left him a paraplegic at the age of 21. Today, Chauhan is a Chartered Accountant while his mother Anjana is the director of Faceless Compliance, a company that provides virtual assistance with tax compliance. With their combined finance and taxation expertise, it’s no wonder that their friends gathered at their house to decode Budget 2025. Among them was Anjana’s fellow director at Faceless Compliance, Advocate Rubina Eugene Dsouza, along with her parents; the Chauhans’ family friend Capt Rajat Singh and his son Angad; and another family friend Vivek Trivedi.
Senior citizens in the group lamented the lack of any new railway concessions for the elderly, citing the need to make rail connectivity accessible to everyone. Representational Pic/Getty Images
As they waited for Sitharaman to begin her announcement, the families—all of whom categorise themselves as upper-middle class—discussed their biggest hopes and fears: The need to boost education in the country, support senior citizens, and to curb the exorbitant cost of treatment and medicines in private hospitals.
Here are their reactions to Budget 2025.
Anjana Chauhan, 71
Chirag Chauhan’s mother; Director, Faceless Compliance
I was personally disappointed by the fact that no additional railway concession was provided for senior citizens apart from the initial 50 per cent discount. The government has to understand the importance of rail connectivity for all, including farmers who transport their perishables to the cities. At the end of the day, both the producers and consumers have to pay the additional price.
Marina Dsouza, 61
Rubina’s mother; Homemaker
I’m happy to hear about no TDS for senior citizens on interest up to R1 lakh. The budget seems to take care of senior citizens, though a lot more could have been done in the field of mental and physical healthcare and overall wellbeing.
Eugene Alex Dsouza, 60
Rubina’s father, Businessman
Overall, it seems good but I’m a little disappointed as no benefit has been offered to the business sector, which is the backbone of any vibrant economy. The same applies to the youth, who are venturing out with innovative ideas which have the potential to emerge as successful startups.
Adv Rubina Eugene Dsouza, 38
Anjana Chauhan’s colleague; Director, Faceless Compliance
Budget 2025 has certainly met my expectations with a big relief on income tax. Taxpayers under the new regime will definitely benefit from the reforms too. But, I was also expecting some relief on GST and indirect taxes.
Capt Rajat Singh, 44
Chauhans’ family friend; Master, Merchant Navy
I think retail investors deserve some incentive for driving the nation’s growth. Long-term capital gains should be subsidised to less than five per cent for retail investors who remain invested for more than five years. Additionally, I feel more should be spent on improving the rural medical infrastructure. We still have not learnt the lesson from the COVID days.
Chirag Chauhan, 39
CA and 2006 train blasts survivor
The budget was really good for the middle class with the I-T exemption. It will also help the youth who are on the threshold of their careers. TDS relief for senior citizens and on rent is also welcome, along with the promise to have a specialised cancer hospital in every district and clean tap water for every household in the next three years.
Vivek Trivedi, 41
Chauhans’ family friend; Founder of Cure For Sure (ayurvedic portal)
A good proportion of the budget has been allocated for MSMEs, thereby encouraging private investors and giving a boost to employment. I appreciate the tax relief on life-saving drugs; they should give similar relief for GST on Ayurvedic products, too. They have increased medical seats, but I would suggest separate allocation for Ayurveda students, too. This will go a long way in ensuring that even the remotest village has robust primary health care.
Angad Rajat Singh, 17
Capt Rajat’s son; College student
I think some more of the Budget should have gone towards helping students in rural areas get a proper education. We see cutting-edge technology in private institutions while public schools in rural areas don’t even have proper teaching faculty.