This year's budget has kept interests of common man in mind: Hopeful of some incentives/positive stimulus for the health insurance industry from the Finance Minister Budget Rating -7 Budget Vision – This year’s budget will give a boost to the infrastructure, education, health, social sector and agriculture sectors as funds allocation to these industries have been increased substantially. For a primarily agrarian economy like India such measures can only bode well. Health Insurance Industry – We were hopeful of some incentives/ positive stimulus for the health insurance industry from the Finance Minister. In our opinion steps like incentives, besides tax savings, for people buying health insurance and allocation of resources for public private partnership to increase health insurance penetration would have been a positive move for the sector. What’s in it for the Common Man- This year’s budget has kept the interests of the common man in mind. Increasing of the Income Tax Exemption limit from 1.6 lacs to 1.8 lacs, special concessions to Senior citizens on taxation, increase in fund allocation for the infrastructure, education and health sectors, no increase in service tax and central excise duty along with a thrust of 58,000cr. The author is Dr Damien Marmion, Chief Executive, Max Bupa Health Insurance.