Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman convened the fourth high-stakes pre-Budget consultation on Tuesday, bringing together a powerhouse of capital market leaders to dissect strategies for turbocharging India's financial ecosystem ahead of the Union Budget 2026-27, a critical blueprint set to shape the nation's economic trajectory amid global uncertainties and domestic ambitions for a $5-trillion economy.

The roundtable, held virtually and in-person at the North Block, featured an elite lineup of market influencers including Sandeep Sikka, CEO of Prabhudas Lilladher; Saurabh Mukherjea, founder of Marcellus Investment Managers; Motilal Oswal, chairman of Motilal Oswal Financial Services; Sushant Bhansali, CIO of Karvy Value Investing Forum; Dhirendra Kumar, CEO of Value Research; and Vishal Kapoor, managing director of TIAA Wealth Management, all under the watchful eyes of Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, Economic Affairs Secretary Anuradha Thakur, and Chief Economic Adviser Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran.

Discussions zeroed in on pivotal capital market reforms to ignite investment flows, enhance market depth, and foster inclusive growth, with participants likely advocating for measures like simplified IPO norms, tax incentives for long-term investors, bolstering retail participation through mutual funds, and regulatory tweaks to attract foreign institutional money while mitigating volatility risks in an era of geopolitical flux and interest rate shifts.

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This session builds on the momentum from the inaugural meeting on Monday with economists and agriculture stakeholders, underscoring Sitharaman's exhaustive outreach to over 30 sectors; the finance minister, known for her meticulous approach, used the forum to harvest actionable insights on fiscal priorities, from boosting domestic savings channels to fortifying the secondary market's resilience against external shocks like US Fed policies or supply chain disruptions.

With consultations ramping up through the week—including BFSI and IT experts on November 19, hospitality, tourism, and labour unions on November 20, and infrastructure, energy, and urban planners on November 21—the stage is set for a transformative Budget potentially unveiled on January 31 or February 2, as whispers grow that February 1's Sunday slot could prompt an early presentation to align with the fiscal year's start.

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