Anant Goenka optimistic on demand revival, outlines budget priorities including defense, electronics hubs, and export incentives

Anant Goenka

Business Standard

First supplementary demands for grants tabled in Parliament focus on fertiliser and petroleum subsidies amid rising costs

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks during the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. (Sansad TV via PTI Photo)

Centre to ramp up awareness, with 15% of the 60 million senior citizen target covered, even as experts flag budgetary issues, slow pace

PMJAY, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana

Industry body CII has urged the government to set up a dedicated finance institution and tech expo fund to support initiatives related to promoting the green economy, as there are significant gaps in long-term and low-cost capital availability in the country.
As India moves closer to its goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy, advancing a green economy is no longer a choice but a strategic necessity, it said.
In its pre-Budget suggestions, the chamber has suggested establishing a dedicated Green Finance Institution (GFI) to mobilise large-scale, low-cost capital for India's green transition across renewable energy, clean mobility, green buildings, and industrial decarbonisation.
"The institution could be domiciled in the GIFT City (in Gujarat) to leverage regulatory flexibility and attract foreign capital. It could offer concessional loans, equity support, credit guarantees, and securitization of small-scale green assets to reduce project financing costs," it said in a ...

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

As India moves closer to its goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy, advancing a green economy is no longer a choice but a strategic necessity, it said

Press Trust of India

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has termed the Assam government budgetary assumptions for 2023-24 "unrealistic and overestimated," pointing out that in several cases supplementary grants were approved where expenditure of the original allotted funds was not even done.
It also highlighted non-submission of Utilisation Certificates (UCs) and annual accounts of several autonomous councils and other bodies.
The CAG report on state finances for 2023-24, laid in the Assembly on Saturday, said the budgetary assumptions of the state government "continued to be unrealistic and overestimated" during the fiscal year, as it incurred an expenditure of Rs 1,39,449.66 crore against grants and appropriations of Rs 1,69,966.13 crore, resulting in overall savings of Rs 30,516.47 crore.
These savings stood at 17.95 per cent of total grants and appropriations made for the year.
The report said that "the savings were notional, as the funds were not actually available for expenditure", since t

The central government’s borrowing is expected to remain in line with the budgeted amount, with slight adjustments in the distribution across tenures, according to bond market participants. Earlier, there were expectations of a reduction in the suppl

The central government's borrowing is expected to remain in line with the budgeted amount, with slight adjustments in the distribution across tenures, according to bond market participants. Earlier, there were expectations of a reduction in the suppl

It also highlighted non-submission of Utilisation Certificates (UCs) and annual accounts of several autonomous councils and other bodies

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

The amendments include one that abolishes a 6 per cent digital tax, popularly known as the 'Google Tax,' on online advertisements

Rekha Gupta, Delhi CM

Delhi Budget 2025-26: In the Assembly, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Budget has 10 focus areas including infra development, electricity, roads, water

Telangana Budget

Telangana Budget 2025 proposes ₹2,26,982 crore for revenue expenditure and ₹36,504 crore for capital expenditure

Nirmala Sitharaman, Nirmala, Finance Minister

FM Nirmala Sitharaman said that production-linked incentive schemes attracted investments worth Rs 1.5 trillion so far, created 950,000 jobs

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Sukhwinder Singh

The Chief Minister also announced to give arrears of pensioners in the age bracket of 70-75 years in the first phase in May

Nayab Singh Saini

CM Saini made various announcements in the budget, including earmarking Rs 5,000 crore for 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana' under which Rs 2,100 will be given to the state's women

India's private equity leaders say unutilised capital isn't a sign of slowdown but a marker of maturity, as deal quality, domestic funding, and exits grow stronger.

private equity funds

India's private equity leaders at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit said that unutilised capital reflects a maturing sector, as deal quality, domestic funding, and exits gain strength

GPT Infraprojects shares rose 13 per cent on ₹195-crore contract from Terminal Industriel Polyvalent de San Pedro, Ivory Coast

GPT Infra shares in focus today

On the bourses, the Nifty IT index is the worst-performing sector so far this year. The index is down 16 per cent in 2025

H1-B Visa impact on IT firms

One Mobikwik said it has reported a fraud incident in which registered merchants in Haryana colluded to claim unauthorised settlements

Mobikwik shares in focus

Stock Markets Falling Today: Fearing a disruption in supply chains amid Israel's attack on Iran, oil prices jumped to five-month highs Friday morning

Stock broker, broker, market crash, market fall, loss, trader, marker, markets, stock markets, stock

Why stock markets are falling today: Fearing a disruption in supply chains amid Israel's attack on Iran, oil prices jumped to five-month highs Friday morning

Healthcare industry body NATHEALTH has asked the government to increase public spending on healthcare to over 2.5 per cent of GDP with urgent action to tackle non-communicable diseases, including tax deductions of up to Rs 10,000 on individuals for preventive health check-ups.
In its pre-Budget recommendations to the government, NATHEALTH said it outlined a roadmap to strengthen healthcare delivery, foster innovation, and expand insurance and preventive coverage.
The recommendations call for a balanced mix of fiscal support, structural reforms, and public-private collaboration to build a robust, future-ready health system, it said in a statement.
In its recommendations, NATHEALTH asked the sector to be declared 'core infrastructure' and create a healthcare infrastructure fund of Rs 50,000 crore, saying currently there is limited access to long-term, lower-cost capital for hospitals and diagnostic networks.
New projects have long gestational periods requiring flexible mid-term ...

pharma medicine drugs

In its pre-Budget recommendations to the government, NATHEALTH said it outlined a roadmap to strengthen healthcare delivery, foster innovation, and expand insurance and preventive coverage

The phasing out of the import of Russian oil might increase the cost of importing crude oil and escalate Budget expenditure

India Budget

Among the states analysed, Telangana emerged as the frontrunner with the highest utilisation at 60.8 per cent, followed by Kerala at 43.6 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh at 39.9 per cent

Capex, Budget, Capital expenditure

Jaro Designs Programs

Industry

While most of the cities in India had been fairly well planned, rapid growth, especially post-1991, has outpaced existing infrastructure systems, policies, and regulations, said Shah

(From left) Kuljit Singh, investment banking partner and leader (infrastructure), EY;  Rahul Mithal, chairman & MD, Rites; and Jagan Shah, CEO, The Infravision Foundation,  at the Business Standard Infrastructure Summit in New Delhi on Thursday

At the BS Infrastructure Summit, Sarbananda Sonowal said India aims to scale port capacity to 10,000 MMT by 2047, raise private participation to 85% and invest Rs 80 lakh crore

Sarbananda Sonowal

Cube Highways Trust has raised Rs 820 crore via non-convertible debentures issued across 3.5-year and 10-year tenors, with proceeds used for repayment of existing debt

cube highways

Sanjay Raut

Election is due in Bihar - Modi government's every budget is an election package, Raut added

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Union budget 2025-26 Live Updates: Modi govt has made some big announcements including changes in the new tax regime with taxpayers not having to pay any income tax on earnings up to Rs 12 lpa

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2025-26 on February 1. The Budget addresses four key areas: stimulating private consumption, continuing fiscal consolidation.

In this special podcast we discuss the pulse of the Indian economy and uncover what will the Union Budget 2025  have in store

With Union Budget 2025 just around the corner, the buzz is growing. The big question: Will middle-income taxpayers finally get the relief they’ve been waiting for? Watch the video to know more.

As India anticipates the unveiling of this year’s Union Budget, a key question dominates public discourse: will Modi 3.0’s second Budget prioritize populism over prudence or vice versa?

The Indian Union Budget is crafted through a multi-step process involving various stakeholders. As the Union Budget 2025 draws closer, let's revisit at the process that goes behind preparing the country's Annual Financial Statement. Watch the video for a quick explainer.

The Union Budget 2025 is just around the corner. What does the Budget include? Watch the video to know in simple terms.

Union Budget 2026: Read Union Budget 2026 Live Announcements from FM Nirmala Sitharaman. Get the latest news updates on Income Tax Slab Rate, Railway Budget, Budget Key Highlights, Budget Expectations, and more on Business Standard.

Union Budget 2026, Budget Live News, Nirmala Sitharaman Announcements, India Budget 2026-27 Highlights

Check out the Live Union Budget 2026 announcements made by FM Nirmala Sitharaman here. Get the latest news headlines on the Railway Budget, Income Tax Slab Rate, Budget Expectations, and more Key Highlights on Business Standard.

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