Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb. 1: Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Sunday addressed a joint media interaction, welcoming the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman and describing it as a “holistic, inclusive and youth-oriented” financial roadmap aimed at long-term national growth while offering specific opportunities for the Islands.
Opening the briefing, Mr. S.P. Ellango, State Media Convener, BJP A&N Islands, greeted members of the press and stated that the Budget, presented for the ninth time by the Finance Minister, touches almost every sector of the economy. He said that although the Budget was national in scope, several provisions would directly and indirectly benefit the Islands. Mr. Ellango identified ship repairing, fisheries and coconut development as three sectors expected to receive direct investment impetus, while tourism was described as an indirect but significant beneficiary once detailed provisions are fully examined. He pointed to ongoing and proposed investments linked to marine infrastructure, fishery harbour schemes and incentives for replanting old coconut trees to increase productivity. Emphasising employment generation, he also highlighted emerging sectors such as cloud computing, semiconductors and digital technologies, noting that the Budget contains forward-looking elements for youth skill development and new-age industries.
Dr. T.K. Jijith Rekh, State Spokesperson, BJP A&N Islands, described the Budget as strongly youth-centric, with special focus on employment creation and skill development. He underlined that India’s fiscal deficit had been reduced to around 4.3 percent, which he said reflected the strengthening of the national economy. Referring to initiatives in education and technology, he mentioned the proposed establishment of advanced digital and creative laboratories in thousands of schools and colleges across the country, aimed at nurturing skills in areas such as content creation, gaming, design and innovation. According to him, such initiatives would particularly benefit island students who often rely on self-learning due to limited local training facilities. He also welcomed provisions for professional training of tourist guides, stating that structured certification and education would improve the quality of tourism services and ensure accurate historical narration at tourist sites. In addition, he noted relief measures in fisheries exports, development of sea routes, infrastructure funding and proposals for girls’ hostels in districts across India to support higher education for women.
Mrs. Sheela Singh, Vice President, BJP A&N State Unit, termed the Budget a step toward the vision of “Viksit Bharat,” asserting that it builds upon reforms introduced over the past decade to strengthen self-reliance. She highlighted special attention given to coastal cash crops such as coconut, cocoa, sandalwood and cashew, observing that the Islands possess favourable climatic conditions for these crops and could benefit from renewed focus on marketing and plantation rejuvenation. Mrs. Singh also welcomed reductions in the prices of certain essential medicines, especially cancer drugs, tax relaxations for overseas education and travel, and price reductions in select consumer goods that could ease the burden on middle-class families. She further pointed to allocations for textile and fibre industries, khadi promotion, micro-enterprises and small vendor credit schemes as measures that would stimulate grassroots economic activity and self-employment.
Mr. Manikam Naidu, President of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also expressed support for the Budget, stating that it would strengthen industrial growth, infrastructure and regional development across India while reinforcing the coalition’s commitment to economic progress.
Mr. Anil Kumar Tiwari, President of the BJP Andaman & Nicobar Islands Unit, delivered the concluding and most detailed remarks, thanking members of the print, electronic and digital media for attending the briefing at short notice despite it being a holiday. Mr.Tiwari placed the budget in a global context, referring to ongoing international conflicts and economic slowdowns, and said there had been apprehensions that fiscal pressures might translate into burdens on ordinary citizens. However, he asserted that the budget had avoided imposing additional strain on taxpayers and the middle class while maintaining support for farmers and small businesses.
Mr. Tiwari explained the concept of budgeting through relatable household analogies, stating that just as families plan daily and monthly expenses, a nation must plan for decades ahead. He emphasised that the current budget is designed with a long-term vision leading up to 2047, aligning with the national goal of becoming a developed country. Specifically for the islands, he highlighted the importance of tourism and fisheries, noting that no budget is complete for Andaman and Nicobar without attention to these sectors. He cited recent approvals for modern jetty infrastructure at Mayabunder and spoke about the strong potential of seaplane connectivity across scattered islands to reduce travel time and enhance tourism and emergency mobility.
He also welcomed relaxations for taxpayers, including the removal of certain punitive provisions and the introduction of financial penalties in place of harsher punishments for minor compliance errors, calling it a confidence-building measure. Mr. Tiwari linked infrastructure projects such as undersea cable connectivity, airport expansion and major port-led developments with long-term economic transformation of the islands. Addressing criticism from opposition quarters, he argued that large-scale infrastructure and defence self-reliance initiatives reflect strategic planning rather than short-term populism. Concluding his address, Mr. Tiwari said the budget reduces the cost of essential goods and medicines for ordinary families while simultaneously investing in defence, tourism, youth employment and maritime growth, and he formally welcomed the Union Budget on behalf of the BJP’s Andaman and Nicobar unit.
