 "Telugu poet and playwright Gurajada Apparao")
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her eighth consecutive Budget speech for the financial year 2025-26 (FY26), opened her speech by invoking Telugu poet and playwright Gurajada Apparao, quoting his famous lines: “Desamante matti kaadoyi, Desamante manushuloyi”.
This translates to “A country is not just its soil, a country is its people”.
She used this quote to emphasise the government’s vision for Viksit Bharat (Developed India), which, includes eliminating poverty, ensuring quality education for all, providing access to high-quality and affordable healthcare, achieving 100 per cent skilled labour with meaningful employment, increasing women’s workforce participation to 70 per cent, and making India “the food basket of the world”.
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Who is Gurajada Apparao?
Gurajada Apparao was a renowned Telugu playwright, poet, and social reformer. Born on September 21, 1862, in Rayavaram, Andhra Pradesh, he played a pioneering role in introducing colloquial Telugu literature.
His most famous work, Kanyasulkam (1892), is considered one of the greatest plays in the Telugu language. The play exposed the evils of child marriage and the dowry system, bringing critical social issues into the public discourse. In 1955, it was adapted into a film starring former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh NT Rama Rao in the lead role.
In recognition of his contributions, Apparao was appointed to the Board of Studies by Madras University in 1911, and in 1913, he was honoured with the title of ‘Emeritus Fellow’. He passed away on November 30, 1915, at the age of 53.
By citing his words, Sitharaman reinforced the idea that economic development should focus not only on infrastructure and industry but also on empowering people and improving their quality of life.
Sitharaman’s Budget 2025 speech
During her address, Sitharaman highlighted that India continues to be the fastest-growing major economy, attributing this growth to structural reforms and policy measures implemented over the years.
She emphasised the government’s commitment to ‘Sabka Vikas’ (inclusive development), focusing on uplifting the poor, expanding employment opportunities for youth, enhancing women’s economic participation, and supporting farmers to strengthen India's agricultural sector.
Sitharaman, in her speech, also pointed out how India’s economic transformation has drawn international recognition, and confidence in the country’s potential has only strengthened.
