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The Sangh believes that while big-ticket reforms and revenue generation are necessary, economic policies must ensure that the burden on middle-class households is reduced and local businesses flourish
The Sangh expects some tax relief, higher deductions on essential expenses like healthcare and education, and stricter measures to control inflation. (PTI)
Relief for middle class, imposing tariffs on Chinese products like umbrellas and footwear, boosting SMEs by offering production-linked incentives, reviving national assets, and allocating a larger share for education and training purposes — these and more are areas that the RSS wants Budget 2025 to prioritise.
Over half-a-dozen organisations affiliated to the Sangh Parivar, including Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), which work in the field of small and medium industries, traders, labour rights and education, met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman last month to present their wish-lists.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) believes that while big-ticket reforms, robust tax collection and revenue generation are necessary, economic policies must ensure that the burden on middle-class households is reduced, local businesses flourish and thrive, and public-sector units are safeguarded from excessive privatisation.
Middle-Class Relief: Easing The ‘Burden’
The RSS has consistently raised concerns about the rising cost of living for the Indian middle class, which forms the backbone of the economy and also the lion share of BJP’s voter base.
The Sangh expects some tax relief, higher deductions on essential expenses like healthcare and education, and stricter measures to control inflation, said a senior RSS functionary.
With stagnant wages at multiple levels and ever-increasing financial pressure, the expectation is that the budget will ease the pain and offer direct benefits to salaried professionals, self-employed and aspiring individuals, ensuring economic stability for this crucial demographic.
Incentivising SMEs, Need for Manufacturing Policy
The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) and Laghu Udyog Bharati have repeatedly emphasised the need to support local businesses and reduce dependence on multinational corporations.
The Sangh Parivar wants easier credit, lower compliance costs, and incentives for domestic manufacturers to strengthen the SME sector. The focus is on job creation, indigenous production, and ensuring that economic growth benefits small entrepreneurs rather than just large corporate entities.
Talking to News18, Om Prakash Gupta, national general secretary of LUB, said: “We have sought hand-holding for our small and medium-sector enterprises. We had earlier suggested imposition of tariffs on some Chinese products like umbrellas and footwear. The government needs to protect indigenous businesses. It has taken several steps but we expect more measures.”
The organisation, in its statement, also mentioned that they want the government to “rationalise GST rates for job work, extend amnesty schemes for minor lapses in GST filings and order u/s 74, rationalise RCM rates at 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent for cash-flow relief, expedite GST credit refunds for exporters, offer custom duty incentives for sustainable practices, and simplify permission processes for importing critical raw materials”.
Ashwini Mahajan, economist and co-convener of SJM, said: “We have suggested PLIs for SMEs. At least 50 per cent of total PLIs should come to the SME sectors. We also want our homegrown sectors to thrive and, for that, we need to reduce dependence on foreign imports and encourage our indigenous manufacturing sectors.”
Swadeshi Jagran Manch has also advocated for a national manufacturing policy to safeguard home-bred businesses and industries.
Bigger Funds for Education
Nationalistic education remains the top priority for RSS and its affiliates, which have long advocated for a curriculum rooted in Indian values, its history and knowledge systems.
ABVP, the students’ wing of the RSS, also met the finance minister last month as part of the delegation. The ABVP wants greater investment in rural schools and other higher-education industries across states, skill-development programmes, and research institutions.
It has also demanded more structured oversight on foreign influence in academia and some corrective measures, if needed, ensuring that Indian educational institutions align with nationalist goals and cultural heritage.
To streamline governance in education, the Sangh wants a single authority to oversee all educational institutions and training centres. The objective is to ensure uniform policy implementation, better coordination, and prevent ideological dilution in academic and skill-development institutions.
