Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized the need for affordable bank interest rates to support industries in expanding their capacities and boosting global competitiveness. She highlighted how high borrowing costs are restricting small and medium enterprises from investing in growth and modernizing technology. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) echoed this, urging for lower rates to drive job creation, exports, and manufacturing. Sitharaman stressed the importance of creating an enabling financial environment to strengthen India's position as a global manufacturing hub while ensuring industries get cost-effective credit access.