Nirmala to hold pre-Budget meet with industrialists on June 11

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called a meeting of leading industry chambers on June 11 to elicit their views on various issues, including steps to boost FDI inflows and industrial productivity, as part of the pre-Budget consultation exercise, sources said.

This would be the first joint interaction with Sitharaman, who took over as India's first full-time woman finance minister last month, after the BJP-led NDA government won a second term.

Representatives of industry bodies like CII, Ficci and Assocham, among others, are expected to attend the meeting.

Most of the industry bodies have already submitted their memoranda of demands to the finance ministry for consideration.

The Budget will be presented by the minister in the Lok Sabha on July 5.

Sources said the topics likely to be taken up during the meeting Tuesday include changes in the FDI guidelines to spur overseas investments in the country.

The minister would also seek their views on the issue of mergers to enhance productivity, the categories of services needed to be expanded to meet domestic demand, and tariff structure to increase domestic output and exports.