On 31 January, 2025, the Union Finance Minister tabled the Economic Survey 2024-25 in Parliament. Before going into the major highlights of the Economic Survey, it is pertinent to know what an economic survey is, its preparation and presentation, and its importance.

Economic Survey

Every year, the Finance Ministry releases the Economic Survey of India, an annual report that evaluates the country’s economic performance during the previous year. It draws attention to macroeconomic indicators, economic development, and the possible future challenges for India. To handle those economic challenges, the economic survey recommends necessary policy changes.

Preparation & Presentation

The Economic Survey of India is prepared under the supervision of the Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. Until 1964, the Economic Survey was presented in parliament along with the Union Budget, after which it was tabled one day before the Union Budget. The first Economic Survey was released in the Fiscal Year (FY) 1950-51.

Importance  of Economic Survey

The Economic Survey is the most comprehensive and reliable official analysis of the Indian economy. Economic Survey provides the Government’s official framework for decision-making and economic policy considerations. Economic Survey’s recommendations are suggestive and not binding.

Economic Survey 2024 – 2025 – Major Highlights 

The Economic Survey 2024-25, contains 13 chapters and includes a chapter which talks about whether the Artificial Intelligence era is Crisis or Catalyst for Labour (Labour in the AI era: Crisis or Catalyst). As the Survey is comprehensive, this article summarises the key points into the following seven major themes:

1. State of the Economy
2. Medium-Term Outlook: Deregulation Drives Growth
3. Investment and Infrastructure
4. Industry
5. Service Sector
6. Agriculture and Allied Activities
7. Employment and Skill Development……To read more, download the PDF