This is not a budget driven by short-term populism. Instead, it places its faith in continuity, institution-building and resilience. With a sustained focus on enhancing farmer income, institution-building, infrastructure and maintaining fiscal discipline, the Budget reinforces confidence in India's medium-term growth trajectory, even as it avoids dramatic policy shifts. A sharper focus on Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, along with the recognition of global capability centres as a growth driver, is expected to broaden India's economic footprint beyond metros.