Leh: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived at Leh for her four day visit on July 14, 2025.
She was received at Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport by Member of Parliament Haneefa Jan, Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal, Chief Executive Councillor LAHDC Leh Adv Tashi Gyalson, DGP Dr SD Singh Jamwal, Administrative Secretary Shashanka Ala, Deputy Commissioner Santosh Sukhadeve, SSP Shruti Arora, State President BJP and other BJP leaders.
During her four-day visit, she will interact with LAHDC leh and Administration of UT Ladakh and will inaugurate various developmental projects.
She will also chair a Credit Outreach Program with UTLBC Ladakh emphasizing the vital role of credit in promoting financial inclusion and economic development in the region.
She will also visit Nyoma, Hanle, Rezangla and other places in the Changthang region and will take stock of the developmental works in the region.
Later MP Haneefa Jan said, “Delighted to welcome Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to the majestic land of Ladakh. Your visit brings immense hope and inspiration to our people. Looking forward to fruitful discussions and strengthened support for the region’s growth including budgetary support, banking access, entrepreneurship, and long-term economic empowerment and development.”
Nirmala Sitharaman also interacted with the MP later in the day.
Later in the day, former MP, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal (JTN) called on FM Nirmala Sitharaman in Ladakh.
Meanwhile, a Delegation of Executive Councillors of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh led by its Chairman, CEC Advocate Tashi Gyalson called on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Ladakh.
The FM also posted on her social media handle of being in Ladakh for an official visit. She is likely to take stock and review the financial and developmental progress in Ladakh UT.
Sitharaman said, “The transformation of the Indian economy over last 11 years – from having a twin-deficit problem to a five-balance sheet advantage – is an outcome of the concerted policy efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.”
India’s emergence as the fastest-growing major economy is anchored on several favourable factors, and is closely intertwined with strengthening balance sheets of key sectors of the economy — banks, corporates, households, Government and the external sector. Let’s take a deeper dive into this ‘five balance sheet advantage’, she added.
She said in an article published, Corporate balance sheets are healthy. There has been noticeable improvement in interest-coverage ratio (ICR) of firms, and marked decline in the proportion of vulnerable firms. To put it in a global context, compared to 18% firms in emerging market economies (excluding China), only 12.2% Indian firms have ICR below 1, almost the same as advanced economy (AE) corporates. With strong financial flows to the commercial sector (total flow has increased from ₹33.86 lakh crore in 2023-24 to ₹34.88 lakh crore in 2024-25, with granular data showing strong support by equity issuances and corporate bonds by non-financial entities), and above average capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector, there is ample room for investment.
