Economists hailed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for a "bold budget" focused on fiscal expansion but flagged concerns over the proposals for not addressing the problems of inequitable growth. Concerns over the impact on the sovereign rating have been sidestepped in the budget by using a wider fiscal deficit for addressing the growth needs, they said. The budget was widely expected to be a fiscally expansionary one, given the concerns on the growth front. "The budget does not adequately address concerns over inequitable growth which has been a worry across the globe due to the pandemic. There has been no specific support for sectors stressed due to the pandemic like the hospitality sector," HDFC Bank's chief economist Abheek Barua said.