{
  "id": 226455,
  "title": "Laggard States need handholding to improve: Sitharaman",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/laggard-states-need-handholding-to-improve-sitharaman",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-06T16:11:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/laggard-states-need-handholding-to-improve-sitharaman/article71314110.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized the importance of federalism in a recent statement, highlighting the need for every state to be strong and receiving necessary support to improve. While strong states are essential, the country also requires a robust central government to manage crucial areas such as defense, exports, and manufacturing, which individual states cannot effectively handle alone. Sitharaman stressed that laggard states must be encouraged to catch up, acknowledging that there cannot be a 'beggar thy neighbor' approach to industry and investment. The Finance Minister argued that empowered states, with appropriate resources and policies, are key to achieving India's aspirations.",
  "summary": "Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says that while all States need to be strong, India needs a Centre that sets “all the clear tones” to handle issues such as defence, exports, and manufacturing",
  "key_points": [
    "Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized federalism's importance.",
    "Laggard states need support to improve, not 'beggar thy neighbor' approach.",
    "Empowered states with resources and policies key to India's aspirations."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Emphasizing federalism, Sitharaman's call for handholding laggard states reflects a push for balanced growth, where empowered states bolstered by the centre can drive India's progress.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}