SINGAPORE (Standard&Poor's) Feb. 29, 2008--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that although the budget announced by the Indian government (BBB-/Stable/A-3) addresses a host of economic and social issues, the government may face a multitude of challenges in the coming months that could place pressure on this budget's fiscal-related targets. "The budget was broadly in line with our expectations," Standard&Poor's credit analyst Sani Hamid said. "It is largely designed to address numerous issues such as the need to maintain the country's growth momentum, mitigate the impact of higher prices, and boost infrastructure and social spending. As expected, given the lead-up to the general election in early 2009, it also contains several populist measures, such as a
