India budget criticised for lacking big-bang reforms

New Delhi

THE Indian government's budget was praised on Sunday as balancing the need to boost business and to help the poor, but some experts were disappointed at a lack of big-bang reforms to Asia's third-largest economy.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced a US$11.3 billion increase in spending on crumbling roads, rail and other infrastructure and cut the corporate tax rate on Saturday, when he unveiled the right-wing govern-ment's first full budget.

Mr Jaitley also rolled out new pension, insurance and social security programmes for tens of millions of desperately poor, along with tougher penalties for wealthy people who stas…