Nirmala Sitharaman took charge as Finance Minister, how has been the journey so far

Nirmala Sitharaman began her second term as Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs on Wednesday. She will soon propose the final budget for fiscal year 2025, which will set the priorities of the Modi 3.0 government and the path of developed India.

When Sitharaman arrived at the North Block office, she was greeted by Finance Secretary T V Somanathan and other high officials. The Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, was also present. Chaudhary took charge on Tuesday evening. After taking office, the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs was briefed on current policy issues by the secretaries of various departments.

Sitharaman said the government is fully committed to ensuring 'ease of living' for its citizens and will continue to take further steps in this regard. She also said the reforms undertaken since 2014 will continue, which will deliver macroeconomic stability and growth for India. She also highlighted India's commendable growth story in recent years amid global challenges and said there is an optimistic economic outlook for the years to come.

Sitharaman urged the departments to carry forward the NDA government's development agenda with renewed vigor and ensure responsive policymaking to realize the Prime Minister's dream of a 'developed India'. She also said the government believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas'. She called for the continued support and cooperation of all stakeholders, including industry leaders, regulators, and citizens, to ensure a strong and vibrant economy.

Nirmala Sitharaman, who is credited with pushing the second-generation reforms in her previous tenure, will create a record by presenting her seventh consecutive budget and sixth consecutive full budget. The full budget for FY 2025 is likely to be presented in the newly constituted 18th Lok Sabha next month. She has many records to her name in her political career.

She created a record when she was appointed as the first woman Defence Minister in 2017. Prior to this, she was the Minister of Industry and Commerce. When her mentor Arun Jaitley (Finance Minister 2014-19) fell ill, Sitharaman was given charge of the Finance portfolio in the re-elected Modi government after the 2019 general elections. She became the first full-time woman Finance Minister in independent India. Prior to this, Indira Gandhi had handled Finance as an additional portfolio for a short time while she was the Prime Minister of India.