Reacting to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's maiden Budget speech, Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman, Niti Aayog, said that the focus on growth and investment is the centrepiece for expanding employment in the country.

He said a large number of jobs would come from the housing sector, as the government wants to rejuvenate housing in the real estate.

Jobs will also come from the 17 iconic tourist sites that will be developed over time because we want to ramp up foreign tourist arrivals, he said, adding that jobs will also be generated in the electric vehicle (EV) sector where interest rate subsidy was announced.

“The fact that you have now got 25 percent tax threshold increased for companies with revenues from Rs 250 to Rs 400 crore, which means they will also be able to increase production and in turn jobs. So there are various ways in which employment will be generated,” said Kumar.