A CNBC-TV18-Dhruva Advisors pre-Budget poll suggested about 71 percent of chief executive officers of Indian companies want the government to encourage infrastructure spending in Budget 2020-21.

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The joint poll suggests India Inc want an impetus to infrastructure which can boost demand and jobs to put the economy back on the high growth path.

About 52 percent CEOs expect infrastructure spending and urbanisation as the key driver that can positively impact their business in the upcoming financial year. About 56 percent of CEOs expect this sector to drive the economy in the coming financial year, which will start from February 1.

The government has also given priority to the sector. On the eve of the New Year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a Rs 102 lakh crore package for the sector, to be spent over the next 5 years.

Former coal secretaryAnil Swarup said: "The good news is that the government is now planning to spend a lot. The question would be whether this expenditure actually happens on the ground? And that will happen. If clearances are speeded up and at some point in time a project monitoring group was constituted in the cabinet secretariat and that group managed to push through a few projects."

"So, both in the context of private investment as well as the public investment, I think the message has to go around that government will play a prominent role as a facilitator because that will give a great comfort to the private sector as well that if they do have a problem there is an agency which they can approach and they can find a solution to the problem."

Former transport secretary Vijay Chhibber said: "Few days back when we met to discuss the National Infrastructure Pipeline, even that day I had said that these are very ambitious targets in the right direction but the real issue is where are the resources? The National Infrastructure Pipeline envisages that the private sector spend will rise from 20 percent to 30 percent."

"Now, all this is good as a grand vision but the question is how do we translate this vision into actual figures? Unless this Budget brings some clarity on where the resource base for such an ambitious programme is, it will be one of those things we wish would happen but will not happen."

Former NHAI chairman Brijeshwar Singh said: "I think the government would have to focus on two fronts at the same time -- one is fiscal policies laid out in the budget and the wiggle room for increasing allocations is actually limited by the amount of fiscal resources you have.

First Published:Jan 29, 2020 9:24 PM IST