Fiscal Situation of India in the Time of COVID-19

India announced a fiscal package worth `1.7 trillion to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, but there were arguments for more spending. Using data from a cross-section of countries, this paper estimates the relationship between fiscal spending and the spread of COVID-19, economic stringency, and macroeconomic factors. It argues that subsidy rationalisation is the way to fund the increased expenditure on health and direct transfers while maintaining fiscal discipline.