Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defends the new tax regime, emphasizing its simplicity and flexibility for taxpayers. She reassures that the old regime remains available, noting that 72.8% of taxpayers, or 5.2 crore, have adopted the new system by July 31 in the 2024-25 assessment year. The total number of taxpayers stands at 7.22 crore. Sitharaman argues that the new regime does not discourage investments but rather streamlines tax processes.