Budget 2018: Cheers for 'Bharat', some LTCG tax overhang for markets

The Budget has imposed a tax of 10 per cent on long-term capital gains on equities and related instruments, thereby reducing its attractiveness

A bird’s view shows the Finance Minister has taken a bit from the resourceful and given it to the ones who need it, mainly rural India and the economically weaker section. And rightly so, given their distress and the need to raise their quality of life. Across all agencies, the allocation to rural India is pegged at Rs 14.34 trillion. Farmers also get respite with minimum support price (MSP) for Kharif crop proposed at 1.5 times cost of production (currently 1.15 – 1.25 times cost). These measures along with focus on education where allocation is up from Rs 2.5 billion