5 Top Quotes From Nirmala Sitharaman's First Budget Speech

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday presented Union Budget 2019 in the parliament. "We have set the ball rolling for a new India," she said as she opened her Budget speech. This Budget is the first full budget by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government after returning to power in May. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the annual budget statement to parliament, said the government planned structural reforms to kickstart foreign and domestic investment.

Here are 5 best quotes from Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech:

1. "It took India 55 years to reach a $1 trillion economy. When hearts are with hopes and aspirations, we added $1 trillion in just five years. The common man was served even when transformational reforms were laid out. We have to invest heavily in infrastructure. Citizens felt the difference in every nook and corner. Our focus has been mazboot desh ke liye mazboot nagrik (strong citizens for a strong nation)," Ms Sitharaman said. 

2. She said India will become a $3 trillion economy in the current year itself. "It is now the sixth largest economy... Five years ago it was 11th," the finance minister said. Quoting Chanakya Neeti Sutra, Ms Sitharaman said that, "Kaarya purusha kare na lakshyam sampa dayate." This means - with determined human efforts, the task will surely be completed.

3. "The time is right for India to enter aviation finance and leasing. Connectivity is at the heart of development. We do not look down upon legitimate profit-making. Gone are the days of policy paralysis and Licence Raj. Indian firms are wealth creators," Nirmala Sitharaman said.

4. "It's time to take capital markets closer to the masses. We propose to initiate steps for an electronic fundraising platform to list social enterprises and voluntary organisations. This will help social enterprises working for welfare raise capital," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

5. Ms Sitharaman quoted a verse in Tamil -- 'Just a few mounds of rice cooked from a small piece of land is enough for the elephant. But if the same elephant enters a paddy field it will end up trampling more than it would consume'. Explaining the verse, she said that the government does not intend to 'trample' anybody like the elephant. Government will spend Rs 100 lakh crores for infrastructure in next five years.