What were the highlights of the stimulus announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the fourth day?

On the penultimate day of the post-COVID reforms announcements shifted focus to more structural areas like foreign investments and Make in India.

· Government will permit research into setting up of atomic reactors via public-private partnerships (PPP). It will be drawn into the start-up ecosystem.

· Planetary exploration and space travel to be opened to the private sector. They can use can use ISRO facilities for research support.

· As a starting step, the power distribution companies in union territories will be privatised. States will wait and focus on making power viable.

· Create a global hub for aircraft maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) in India. Tax regime for MRO will also be rationalised.

· Only 60% of Indian airspace is freely available. Such restrictions on utilisation of air space to be eased so that civilian flying becomes more efficient.

· Coal will no longer be a government monopoly as government shifts to commercial mining in coal sector with through revenue sharing mechanism.

· FDI limits in defence manufacturing to be increased from 49% to 74%. Ordnance boards to be listed on stock exchanges as corporate entities.

On Sunday, 17th May, the FM will announce the last tranche of the economic package; hopefully with a focus on exports.