Finance Minister P. Chidambaram will hold pre-Budget consultations with India Inc on January 16.
The customary pre-Budget consultations will begin today with the first round to be held with the representatives of agriculture sector. Chidambaram is slated to meet trade union leaders on Thursday.
The pre-Budget meetings are crucial as it would help the Finance Minister decide on the suitable fiscal policy changes to be announced during Budget 2013-14.
This year's meetings are being held in the backdrop of a slowdown in economic growth. The Indian economy is expected to grow between 5.5-6 per cent this fiscal.
The sharp jump in current account deficit during the second quarter of this fiscal is also an issue of concern for policymakers.