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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Applause for Cricket, Silence for Badminton

Mumbai: When Lakshya Sen walked off the court after the final of the All England Badminton Championships, he carried with him the disappointment of another near miss. The Indian shuttler went down in straight games to Lin Chun-Yi, who created history by becoming the first player from Chinese Taipei to lift the prestigious title. But the story of Lakshya Sen’s defeat is not merely about badminton final. It is also about the contrasting way India celebrates its sporting heroes. Had the same...

Applause for Cricket, Silence for Badminton

Mumbai: When Lakshya Sen walked off the court after the final of the All England Badminton Championships, he carried with him the disappointment of another near miss. The Indian shuttler went down in straight games to Lin Chun-Yi, who created history by becoming the first player from Chinese Taipei to lift the prestigious title. But the story of Lakshya Sen’s defeat is not merely about badminton final. It is also about the contrasting way India celebrates its sporting heroes. Had the same narrative unfolded on a cricket field, the reaction would have been dramatically different. In cricket, even defeat often becomes a story of heroism. A hard-fought loss by the Indian team can dominate television debates, fill newspaper columns and trend across social media for days. A player who narrowly misses a milestone is still hailed for his fighting spirit. The nation rallies around its cricketers not only in victory but also in defeat. The narrative quickly shifts from the result to the effort -- the resilience shown, the fight put up, the promise of future triumph. This emotional investment is one of the reasons cricket enjoys unparalleled popularity in India. It has built a culture where players become household names and their performances, good or bad, become part of the national conversation. Badminton Fights Contrast that with what happens in sports like badminton. Reaching the final of the All England Championships is a monumental achievement. The tournament is widely considered badminton’s equivalent of Wimbledon in prestige and tradition. Only the very best players manage to reach its final stages, and doing it twice speaks volumes about Lakshya Sen’s ability and consistency. Yet the reaction in India remained largely subdued. There were congratulatory posts, some headlines acknowledging the effort and brief discussions among badminton enthusiasts. But the level of national engagement never quite matched the magnitude of the achievement. In a cricketing context, reaching such a stage would have triggered days of celebration and analysis. In badminton, it often becomes just another sports update. Long Wait India’s wait for an All England champion continues. The last Indian to win the title was Pullela Gopichand in 2001. Before him, Prakash Padukone had scripted history in 1980. These victories remain among the most significant milestones in Indian badminton. And yet, unlike cricketing triumphs that are frequently revisited and celebrated, such achievements rarely stay in the mainstream sporting conversation for long. Lakshya Sen’s journey to the final should ideally have been viewed as a continuation of that legacy, a reminder that India still possesses the talent to challenge the world’s best in badminton. Instead, it risks fading quickly from public memory. Visibility Gap The difference ultimately comes down to visibility and cultural investment. Cricket in India is not merely a sport; it is an ecosystem built over decades through media attention, sponsorship, and mass emotional attachment. Individual sports, on the other hand, often rely on momentary bursts of recognition, usually during Olympic years or when a medal is won. But consistent performers like Lakshya Sen rarely receive the sustained spotlight that their achievements deserve. This disparity can also influence the next generation. Young athletes are naturally drawn to sports where success brings recognition, financial stability and national fame. When one sport monopolises the spotlight, others struggle to build similar appeal. Beyond Result Lakshya Sen may have finished runner-up again, but his performance at the All England Championship is a reminder that India continues to produce world-class athletes in disciplines beyond cricket. The real issue is not that cricket receives immense attention -- it deserves the admiration it gets. The concern is that athletes from other sports often do not receive comparable appreciation for achievements that are equally significant in their own arenas. If India aspires to become a truly global sporting nation, its applause must grow broader. Sporting pride cannot remain confined to one field. Because somewhere on a badminton court, an athlete like Lakshya Sen is fighting just as hard for the country’s colours as any cricketer on a packed stadium pitch. The only difference is how loudly the nation chooses to cheer.

Balancing the Books

Updated: Feb 14, 2025

Union Budget

The Union Budget speech by the Finance Minister captures public attention with a few headline-grabbing announcements. Yet, buried in the fine print of the 200-page annexure lies the real story of the government’s finances, where money comes from and where it goes. The latest budget for the financial year 2025-26 offers a fascinating glimpse into India’s fiscal priorities, revealing a mix of optimism, discipline and political pragmatism.


The government’s tax revenues are expected to grow robustly, with gross tax receipts budgeted at Rs. 42.7 trillion, up from Rs. 38.53 trillion this year. After transferring Rs. 14.22 trillion to states, the Centre’s net tax revenue will be Rs. 28.37 trillion—an 11 percent increase. Direct tax collections, despite income tax sops costing Rs. 1 trillion, are set to rise by 12.65 percent, driven by expectations of an urban demand revival and a boost to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Indirect taxes, however, are a mixed bag. While the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is forecast to rise to Rs. 11.78 trillion, up from Rs. 10.62 trillion, customs and excise duties remain sluggish.


Beyond taxation, non-tax revenue - profits, dividends, and disinvestment proceeds - is set to rise to Rs. 5.83 trillion. The government expects stronger returns from public sector undertakings (PSUs) and the Reserve Bank of India’s dividend, a trend that has bolstered revenues in recent years. Disinvestment receipts, though, remain modest at Rs. 47,000 crore, indicating a reluctance to aggressively privatize state-owned enterprises.


On the spending side, the government’s total expenditure is budgeted at Rs. 50.65 trillion, with revenue expenditure (day-to-day expenses) at Rs. 39.44 trillion and capital expenditure (long-term investments) at Rs. 11.21 trillion. While capital expenditure has been a key driver of post-pandemic recovery, its share of GDP remains around 4.3 percent, higher than pre-pandemic levels but not significantly increasing. Ministries overseeing infrastructure - railways, roads, and defence - account for the bulk of capital outlay, while social spending remains relatively restrained.


The government’s establishment costs, including salaries and pensions, continue to climb, reaching Rs. 8.68 trillion. Spending on central schemes and subsidies, including food and fertilizer, remains stable at Rs. 4.26 trillion. Defence remains a major cost at Rs. 4.91 trillion, alongside substantial allocations for home affairs and rural development. Meanwhile, the railways, benefiting from increased ticketing revenue, require just Rs. 3,445 crore in support.


But the real challenge lies in managing the deficit. The revenue deficit - the shortfall between regular government income and routine expenses - is expected to fall to Rs. 5.24 trillion (1.5 percent of GDP), down from Rs. 6.1 trillion (1.9 percent). If grants in aid for capital assets are considered as investment rather than expenditure, the effective revenue deficit shrinks further to just Rs. 1 trillion (0.3 percent of GDP). The government’s fiscal deficit, which is the gap between total spending and revenues, stands at Rs. 15.68 trillion (4.4 percent of GDP), down from 4.8 percent this year.


While fiscal discipline appears to be improving, debt remains a concern. The Centre’s outstanding liabilities, which had fallen from 52 percent of GDP in 2013-14 to 49 percent in 2018-19, surged to 61 percent during the pandemic. The government now aims to reduce it to 50 percent of GDP by 2030-31. If nominal GDP grows at 10.5 percent annually, debt will fall within 48.4-51 percent of GDP. This is manageable, but still high by emerging-market standards.


However, fiscal consolidation must be balanced with sustaining economic momentum. Infrastructure spending has underpinned growth in recent years, but private sector participation remains crucial. A slowdown in private investment could strain government finances, forcing a choice between higher borrowing or reduced spending. Meanwhile, rising global interest rates and external shocks, such as oil price fluctuations or geopolitical tensions, could add further uncertainty.


India’s budget reflects a fine balancing act, boosting capital investment while keeping borrowing under control. But whether this fiscal discipline can be maintained depends on external shocks, economic growth, and political pressures. If revenue projections hold and reforms continue, India’s fiscal path may remain steady. But any economic slowdown or populist spending spree could throw these calculations off balance. As ever, the numbers tell a story, but it is the execution that will determine the ending.


(The author is a Chartered Accountant and works at Authomotive Division of Mahindra and Mahindra Limited. Views personal.)

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