The results of the Outlook-CNBC India poll of 61 CEOs and 1,879 citizens on their expectations from Budget 2001 were carried in the issue of Outlook dated February 26. The table below is a stock-taking: what the CEO and the citizen wanted Yashwant Sinha to deliver, what they expected Sinha to deliver, and what he did deliver.
| CEO POLL | Should | Will | Did |
| A disinvestment thrust | 72 | 61 | Yes |
| Tax holidays on certain infrastructure projects | 67 | 39 | Yes |
| An export thrust | 43 | 28 | Partially |
| Lower non-plan expenditure | 22 | 9 | Partially |
| Bringing the services sector into the tax net | 17 | 61 | Yes |
| Removal of surcharge on corporate and personal income taxes | 15 | 7 | Yes |
| Dismantling the price mechanism in petro-products a year ahead | 13 | 9 | No |
| Lower import duties by removing customs surcharge | 13 | 20 | No |
| Higher social sector spending | 7 | 11 | Yes |
| Raising of the standard deduction limit on direct taxes | 7 | 11 | No |
