As India gears up for the Union Budget 2025, a pivotal moment in its economic journey, ET NOW, India’s leading English Business News channel, and ET NOW Swadesh, the Hindi Business News Channel, are set to deliver unparalleled Budget coverage under the theme ‘Budget for Viksit Bharat’. With a focus on ‘Accelerating India, Boosting Indians,’ both channels will provide in-depth, 360-degree analysis, offering expert insights and market intelligence to help viewers navigate India’s dynamic financial landscape.
ET NOW and ET NOW Swadesh promise an immersive viewing experience featuring state-of-the-art AR graphics and cutting-edge technology, making complex insights more accessible for viewers. Led by Nikunj Dalmia, Editor-in-Chief, ET NOW and ET NOW Swadesh, the seasoned editorial teams will provide in-depth analyses with actionable takeaways to decode the Union Budget’s impact on businesses, markets, and individual finances.
Commencing with the live coverage of the Finance Minister’s Budget speech on February 1, 2025, both channels will closely track the economic and political implications of the Union Budget.
Through exclusive interviews with economists, policymakers, and market veterans, the channels will explore the opportunities, challenges, and key growth drivers shaping India’s economic future.
Budget Programming on ET NOW includes:
• Insightful panel with veteran economist Swaminathan Aiyar, will help decode the Union Budget’s vision, offering sharp, data-backed insights into the fiscal direction of the country.
• In this Market Masterclass, experts Kunal Bothra, Nooresh Merani, and Anshul Saigal will decode the best strategies to navigate market swings, identifying high-impact trades to maximize returns.
• Investors seeking multibagger stocks will get exclusive insights from a stellar lineup of India’s top wealth creators, including Nilesh Shah, MD, Envision Capital; Sandeep Tandon, Founder, Quant MF; Porinju Veliyath, Investor; Hiren Ved, Director & CIO, Alchemy Capital; Raamdeo Agrawal, Chairman, Motilal Oswal; Samir Arora, Founder, Helios Capital; Sunil Singhania, Founder, Abakkus Asset Managers; Nilesh Shah, MD, Kotak AMC; Vijay Kedia Private Investor), Saurabh Mukherjea, Founder & CIO, Marcellus Investment; & Sandip Sabharwal, Research Analyst.
• The Star Market Panel features a distinguished lineup of economic and policy experts. The panellists Swaminathan Aiyar, R Gopalan, Former Secretary, DEA & Finance Secretary; Ashok Tyagi, Whole-Time Director, DLF; Yashish Dahiya, Chairman & Group CEO, PB Fintech; Rajnish Kumar Former Chairman, SBI; and Rohinton Sidwa, Partner, Deloitte will provide key insights into the broader macroeconomic landscape of India.
• Providing a research-backed outlook on the markets, Gautam Dugga and Rajat Rajgarhia from Motilal Oswal Finances will share expert analysis on equity strategies.
• A dedicated team of experts from Deloitte India, including Amrish Shah, Bhavik Damodar, Anurag Gupta, and Gaurav Gupta will offer real-time, data-driven insights, delivering instant interpretations of the Union Budget’s fine print.
• With India at the forefront for global investors, the largest Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) will offer their insights on the India story. The expert panel includes Timothy Moe, Equity Strategist, Goldman Sachs and Gautam Chhaochharia Head, Global Markets, UBS India.
• India’s corporate leaders will offer sharp insights and expectations on the Union Budget. The distinguished panel will include Sanjiv Puri, President, CII; Rajiv Memani, President-Designate, CII; R Mukundan Vice President, CII Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, President, FICCI), Anant Goenka, Senior VP, FICCI; Vijay Sankar, VP, FICCI; Keki Mistry, Former VC, HDFC; and Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Founder & Executive VC, Info Edge.
Budget Programming on ET NOW Swadesh includes:
• VIKSIT BHARAT KA BUDGET: Airing from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, ET NOW Swadesh brings unparalleled coverage of Union Budget 2025, offering in-depth analysis of its impact on businesses, investors, and policymakers. The segments will feature comprehensive dynamic market programming, and live coverage of the Budget Speech. With a focus on India’s journey towards becoming a developed economy, market veterans Radhika Gupta, Managing Director & CEO, Edelweiss Mutual Fund; Atul Chaturvedi, Executive Chairman, Shree Renuka Sugars; Yashish Dahiya, Co Founder & CEO, PB FINTECH; Pankaj Tibrewal, IKIGAI Asset Manager; Abhay Soi, Max Health; A. Balasubramanian, MD, Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC; Niranjan Hiranandani, MD, Hiranandani Group; Mihir Vora, CIO, Trust Mutual Fund will decode the Budget’s implications.
• BUDGET DARBAAR: Decoding the Union Budget with leading personal finance and tax experts, this segment from 4:00 PM will feature in-depth discussions on the implications of the Budget for individuals and businesses. Industry leaders Feroze Azeeze, Deputy CEO, Anand Rathi; Anthony Heredia, MD, Mahindra Manulife Investment; Alok Agarwal, Deloitte, and Nilesh Shah, MD, Kotak AMC will analyze key takeaways and provide expert insights on taxation, savings, and investment strategies.
• BUDGET & MARKETS: Airing at 5:00 PM, this segment will explore the impact of Budget announcements on the equity market, featuring discussions with top market experts. Panellists Gurmeet Chadha, Complete Circle, and Amit Jeswani, Founder, Stallion Asset, will offer perspectives on how the Budget will influence investor sentiment, market trends, and future trading strategies.
• GAON-KISAAN KA BUDGET: This segment from 7:00 PM will break down the Budget from a rural and agricultural perspective, focusing on its implications for farmers, agri businesses, and rural development. The expert panel including Siraj Hussain, Agri Economist; G. Chandrashekhar, Commodity Expert; G.K. Sood, Agri Expert; Gunwant Patil, Member, MSP Committee & Farmer Leader; and B.V. Mehta, Executive Director, SEA, wil analyze government policies, subsidies, and initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s agricultural sector.
To make the viewing experience more immersive and engaging, ET NOW and ET NOW Swadesh will run contests on the channels from 8am to 4pm, where viewers can win vouchers for premium smartphones.