Robust demand expected, but high duties remain a worry.

Big core sector plans build confidence

Business Standard

The government today positioned India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) as the focal point for lending to the core sector by providing it additional capital and announcing that it would try new models to fund projects.

Loaded govt arm to pump up infra

With the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme yielding a good harvest of rural votes in the recent general elections, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today announced that the scheme will now guarantee a minimum daily wage of Rs 100 to each beneficiary. Accordingly, proposed allocation for the rural job scheme has been raised 144 per cent to Rs 39,100 crore in 2009-10. The government had spent Rs 30,100 crore on the scheme in 2008-09 (revised estimates) which provided work to 44.7 million households. At the moment, the scheme provides for a minimum daily wage of Rs 60, though states are free to stipulate a higher amount.

Higher NREGS wages may hurt farm sector

The Union Budget today extended to March 31, 2010 the benefits to Export Credit and Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) cover of 95 per cent and the interest subvention of 2 per cent on pre-shipment credit for employment-oriented export sectors.

ECGC, subvention to live one more year

Notebooks, exercise books exempted from any additional tax burden.

Taxes tweaked, no impact seen on consumers

The finance minister had a huge opportunity to kickstart growth in all sectors which he hasn&rsquo;t done. Without the Left, one had hoped that Pranab Mukherjee would have done much more.

My Budget: Tikka Shatrujit Singh

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today took note of the diminishing response of Indian soils to added fertilisers in terms of increase in crop yield and announced measures to correct this anomaly by ensuring balanced use of fertiliser nutrients.

Govt to shift to nutrient-based subsidy regime

The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks have caused a sharp rise in the outlay for paramilitary forces in 2009-10. The attacks exposed the technological obsolescence of the country&rsquo;s police forces and the urgent need for upgrade.

Police budget up a third

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the broad contours of the government&rsquo;s strategy for banks. Though the statement was limited to public sector players, there were few concrete steps to strengthen the financial sector, which he dubbed as the life blood of the economy.

No top-up for economy's &#39;life blood&#39;

The markets have reacted to the Budget in a kneejerk manner. In a holistic sense, it&rsquo;s a good, realistic and a constructive Budget.

My Budget: Ramola Bachchan, MD, Manre restaurant

Fiscal deficit at record 6.8%, in borrow-and-spend Budget.

Pranab gambles with big stimulus

Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana on a pilot basis in 1,000 villages
With a view to emphasise its focus on the common man, especially the rural poor, the government today raised Budget allocation for the rural roads and electrification components of the Bharat Nirman programme by 54 and 27.71 per cent, respectively, in the Union Budget for 2009-10.
The allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has been raised to Rs 12,000 crore from the revised estimate of Rs 7,780 crore in the

More funds for rural roads, power

The Street would have liked a clearer picture of govt plans to spur growth &amp; attract investments.

Looking for some clarity

Employment exchanges, where unemployed people can register for jobs, will finally get to move with the times and get a makeover. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today announced a new project for their modernisation in the Union Budget for 2009-10. It will be done, he said, in partnership with the private sector and would enable a job seeker to register online from anywhere and approach any employment exchange in the country.

Rusty employment exchanges will get wired

At least 30 PSUs and 170 private firms will have to divest promoter holdings in a phased manner.

More share for small investors

The Market finds its own deficit

&ldquo;So what!&rdquo; quipped Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram when asked for a reaction to today&rsquo;s Budget, which revoked most of the measures that he introduced as the finance minister. This was his only comment as he rushed to North Block from Parliament minutes after Pranab Mukherjee presented the Budget.

Mukherjee a free man now

It seems to be a common man&rsquo;s Budget with a thrust on rural infrastructure and housing. There is significant emphasis on education and agriculture. It shows a bent towards rural voters and the rural population.

My Budget: Reema Nanavaty

The Union Budget, while keeping the service tax rate unchanged at 10 per cent, has expanded its ambit to include services provided by legal consultancy and advisory firms. The tax would, however, not be applicable if the service provider or receiver is an individual.

Law firms in service tax net

Announcing that the much-anticipated Goods and Service Tax, or GST, will be introduced on schedule from April 1 next year, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today proposed to increase the rate of central excise on several products from 4 per cent to 8 per cent, so that the indirect duty rate became broadly uniform. Most items are now charged excise at 8 per cent, while the lowest rate for the indirect tax is 4 per cent.

Despite odds, GST on track

In order to provide a stable import duty framework to industry, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has tried to maintain the overall rate structure for customs duties, as well as for central excise and service tax. The government was expected to reduce the peak customs duty from 10 to 5 per cent, but deferred the move to resuscitate the domestic industry, reeling under the global economic downturn.

Relief to local firms: Duties stay stable

Budget 2026 News: Get latest news and headlines on India budget 2026. Explore more news on railway budget, healthcare budget, defense budget along with latest income tax slab rates on Business Standard.

Budget News: Latest Union Budget 2026-27 News, Budget Headlines Updates | Business Standard

Get latest news and headlines on India budget 2026. Explore more news on railway budget, healthcare budget, defense budget along with latest income tax slab rates on Business Standard.

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