Budget 2018: How Jaitley can help recycling sector create millions of jobs

The Indian economy is seeing a broad-based improvement across several sectors and is on track for a robust growth. However, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley prepares Budget 2018, the last full Budget of the Narendra Modi led government before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, one major challenge for the government in the Union Budget 2018-19 will be ensuring the creation of new jobs and maintaining the fiscal balance.

We believe that the metal recycling and overall recycling industry can create millions of jobs in the country. The Chinese government has put recycling as its top priority in its Five-Year Plan. It has created recycling parks and zones in the country to boost the industry.

By comparison, the recycling sector here in India has been ignored for a long time. Now is time for our government to give a specific preference to the sector, which promises to not only save the environment but also create millions of direct and indirect jobs.