Tamil Nadu's Ambitious Budget: Navigating Fiscal Challenges and Growth

Tamil Nadu's Finance Minister, Thangam Thenarasu, has unveiled an interim budget for 2026-27 that ambitiously allocates significant sums towards education, urban development, and healthcare in a bid to stimulate growth amid financial hurdles. The Rs 2.55 lakh crore budget underscores the government's commitment to fiscal discipline and social development.

The flagship Vidiyal Payanam scheme, offering free bus travel for women, receives Rs 4,000 crore, underlining the administration's focus on impactful social schemes. With a fiscal deficit pegged at 3% of the GSDP, the budget also addresses transportation through substantial funds aimed at urban transit infrastructure.

Despite the central government's fiscal policies, which are perceived as unfavourable, Tamil Nadu continues to highlight its growth rate surpassing the national GDP, signalling a resilient and forward-looking economic strategy ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.