How much does India grant aid to neighbouring countries? Union Budget reveals
Generally speaking, when we think of the Union Budget, we say it is an annual financial statement which shows the financial details like estimated receipts and expenditure of the government for that particular year.
In order to keep crucial economic partnerships up and running, India continues to extend financial assistance to countries in its neighbourhood. The Union Budget document released by the Finance Ministry after the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her budget in the Parliament on Tuesday.
The Union Budget document revealed the budget estimate for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for FY 2024-25. As part of its ‘Neighbourhood Policy’ the Indian government provided Rs 6,541.79 crore to foreign governments and the foreign assistance for FY 2024-25 is estimated to be Rs. 5,667.56 crore.
Among the countries in the immediate neighbourhood, Bhutan gets the mammoth share. The landlocked country in South Asia received Rs. 2,400 crore aid last year and this year India’s neighbour is estimated to receive Rs. 2,068.56 crore as foreign assistance.
Here’s the list of top recipient of financial aid from India:
- Bhutan — Rs. 2,068.56 crore
- Nepal — Rs. 700 crore
- Maldives — Rs.400 crore
- Mauritius — Rs. 370 crore
- Myanmar — Rs. 250 crore
- Sri Lanka — Rs. 245 crore
- Afghanistan — Rs. 200 crore
- African Countries — Rs. 200 crore
- Bangladesh — Rs. 120 crore
- Seychelles — Rs. 40 crore
- Latin American Countries — Rs. 30 crore