Page 16 - Latest Updates on Budget 2025-26

Budget 2025: 'Made in India' energy transition gets boost with duty cuts

Customs duties on input goods for electric vehicles, solar panels slashed

Budget 2025: IB gets Rs 3,893.35 cr, allocation for NATGRID slashed by 36%

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has received Rs 3,893.35 crore in the Union Budget 2025-26, a nominal cut of Rs 72.80 crore as compared to the revised estimates for 2024-25. The IB, responsible for intelligence gathering, counter intelligence and counter espionage operations in the country, was allocated Rs 3,823.83 crore in 2024-25 and it was revised to Rs 3,966.21 crore, the Budget document said. It said the provision of Rs 3,893.35 crore for 2025-26 is for meeting the administrative expenses of the IB. The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), another crucial intelligence arm in the country, was allocated Rs 158.23 crore, a massive cut of Rs 89.49 crore (around 36 per cent) from Rs 247.72 crore in 2024-25. The NATGRID aims to link databases as an input in combating terrorism. It also intends to create a facility to improve capability to counter internal security threats, the Budget document said.

Budget 2025 will help make India a top global tourism destination: Industry

Industry experts on Saturday said the Budget announcements for the tourism sector will help make India a top global tourism destination and will create new opportunities for growth, jobs, and innovation. The Union Budget 2025-26 proposes that the top 50 tourist destinations in the country will be developed in partnership with states in a "challenge mode", as tourism is a driver of employment-led growth and unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at boosting infrastructure, skill development and ease of travel. "The plan to develop the top 50 tourism destinations in partnership with state governments is a major initiative. This collaboration will not only improve infrastructure but also help spread tourism across the country, attracting more visitors and benefiting local communities," Pradeep Shetty, spokesperson, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India - and Vice President, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India, said. The focus on medical and wellness ...

FM Sitharaman announces National Geospatial Mission, allocates Rs 100 cr

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced a Rs 100 crore National Geospatial Mission to develop foundational geospatial infrastructure and data, a move aimed at modernising land records, aid urban planning and promoting earth observation systems. Geospatial refers to data associated with a specific location on the Earth's surface, which is crucial for positioning systems and adding layers of information on a map. "We will start a National Geospatial Mission to develop foundational geospatial infrastructure and data. Using PM Gati Shakti, this mission will facilitate modernisation of land records, urban planning, and design of infrastructure projects," Sitharaman said. The finance minister allocated Rs 100 crore for the National Geospatial Mission. The announcement of the mission was welcomed by the geospatial industry that said it would be crucial for building smarter cities, with data-driven insights. "The announcement of the National Geospatial Mission show

Govt to form panel for regulatory reforms: FM in Union Budget speech

The government on Saturday announced measures like setting up a high-level committee for regulatory reforms and releasing investment friendliness index of states to further improve business environment of the country. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech said the government will now bring up the second part of Jan Vishwas Bill to decriminalise more than 100 provisions in various laws. The first part - Jan Vishwas Act 2023 - decriminalised more than 180 legal provisions to cut compliance burden for industry. "A High-Level Committee for Regulatory Reforms will be set up for a review of all non-financial sector regulations, certifications, licenses, and permissions," Sitharaman said. The committee will be expected to make recommendations within a year. "The objective is to strengthen trust-based economic governance and take transformational measures to enhance ease of doing business, especially in matters of inspections and compliances. States will be encouraged

Govt to share selected data, maps from PM Gati Shakti with pvt sector: FM

The government on Saturday announced to provide certain data and maps from the PM Gati Shakti portal to the private sector, a decision which could help them optimize last-mile delivery services and develop infrastructure-based applications. PM Gati Shakti national master plan initiative was launched in October 2021 for integrated and planned development of critical infrastructure projects to reduce logistics costs. "For furthering PPPs (public private partnerships) and assisting the private sector in project planning, access to relevant data and maps from the PM Gati Shakti portal will be provided," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her Budget speech. Using these data layers like track length details, railway stations, DFC (Dedicated Freight Corridor), Good Sheds, national and state highways/ district layers, MMLPs (Multi Modal Logistics Parks), ware houses, existing airports from different ministries will help private sector to optimize last mile delivery services, ...

Budget strengthens India's position as innovation powerhouse, say startups

The Union Budget 2025-26 marks a significant milestone for India's startup ecosystem and reinforces the nation's position as a global innovation powerhouse, say startup players. On Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new Fund of Funds Scheme (FFS) with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore to promote the growth of budding entrepreneurs in the country. "This budget is a big win for India's startup ecosystem. The Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds, along with extended tax benefits and regulatory reforms, will provide the much-needed capital and ease of doing business for emerging ventures," said Shashvat Nakrani, Founder, BharatPe. Startup Policy Forum (SPF) President and CEO Shweta Rajpal Kohli said the creation of a new Fund of Funds will provide crucial financial support to emerging startups. "The introduction of a new scheme to support 5 lakh first-time women entrepreneurs is a bold and inclusive step forward. Furthermore, the establishment of 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs an

Sensex gave positive returns in 7 of 14 Budget presentation days since 2014

The BSE Sensex has given positive returns to investors on seven out of the 14 Union Budget presentation days of the Narendra Modi government since it came to power in 2014. The NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has so far presented 14 budgets, including two interim budgets ahead of the general elections in 2019 and 2024. Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended flat in a special trading session on Saturday. In a day market with heavy volatility, the 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex eked out a marginal gain of 5.39 points or 0.01 per cent to settle at 77,505.96. During the day, it hit a high of 77,899.05 and a low of 77,006.47, gyrating 892.58 points. Prior to this, markets were open on February 1, 2020, and February 28, 2015, which were both on Saturdays when the Budgets were presented. "The Budget was a bold and decisive one to spur economic growth by reviving consumption. With no income tax on income up to Rs 12 lakh, the Budget has ensured that the middle class

Budget push for nuclear energy to cut traditional power dependence: Govt

The focus on nuclear energy in the Budget will strengthen the country's power infrastructure and reduce dependence on conventional sources, Union Minister Manohar Lal said on Saturday. In her budget speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made a slew of announcements on segments like taxes, infrastructure and nuclear energy, among others. The vision to develop at least 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047 underscores India's ambitious yet essential transition towards clean energy, the power minister said. The focus on nuclear energy will strengthen the country's power infrastructure and reduce dependence on conventional sources, he said. Welcoming the launch of the Nuclear Energy Mission, the minister said the Rs 20,000 crore allocation for research and development in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) marks a significant step forward. Operationalising at least five indigenously developed SMRs by 2033 will strengthen the country's energy security and solidify its leadership in ...

Budget 2025-26: Cotton Mission gets a boost to improve productivity

The budget allocation for the textile sector saw a steep increase from the FY24-25 revised figure of Rs 3,342 crore to Rs 5,252 crore

Budget 2025: Rs 1.88 trn for rural sector, MGNREGS allocation unchanged

The Rural Development Ministry has been allocated Rs 1.88 lakh crore in the Union Budget for 2025-26, around 5.75 per cent more than the allocation in the previous budget. According to the budget proposals made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, the Rural Development Ministry has been earmarked Rs 1,77,566.19 crore against Rs 1,77,566.19 crore allocated in the Budget for 2024-25. However, the 2024-25 Revised Estimate, a midyear review of the expenditure done by the ministry, stood at Rs 1,73,912.11 crore, Rs 3,654.08 crore fewer than the initial allocation. The allocation for flagship rural employment scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Development Scheme (MGNREGS) was Rs 86,000 crore, the same as the last year. In 2023-24, the allocation for MGNREGS was Rs 60,000 crore, but additional funds were provided and the actual expenditure stood at Rs 89,153.71 crore, the Budget document showed. No additional allocations for MGNREGS were made in 2024-25. The scheme provi

Budget launchpad for health sector to be global leader: Apollo Hospitals

The Union Budget is just a financial document for the year ahead, but a launchpad for India's healthcare system to emerge as a global leader, Prathap C Reddy, Founder and Chairman, Apollo Hospitals said on Saturday. The addition of 75,000 seats over the next five years, coupled with the launch of Centers of Excellence in AI, will foster innovation in health-tech and expand R&D investments, Reddy said in a statement. The announcement to promote medical tourism through private sector partnerships will enhance the capacity to attract global patients and position India as the go-to destination for affordable, world-class medical care under the Heal in India' mission, he added. With support for capacity building and streamlined visa processes, this initiative will ensure India not only heals its citizens but also helps heal the world." The setting up of 200 Daycare Cancer Centers in district hospitals and the inclusion of critical medicines for rare diseases, cancer, and severe chronic

Inclusive Budget to create jobs, boost agriculture and MSME growth

Given the importance of logistics, mobility and tourism for the economy, the government has further announced 120 new destinations under the UDAN scheme and 50 new tourist destinations

Budget: Govt ups allocation for Ayush ministry by 14% to Rs 3,992.90 crore

The budget allocation for the Ministry of Ayush has been increased to Rs 3,992.90 crore for 2025-26 from Rs 3,497.64 crore (revised estimates) in 2024-25, a 14.15 per cent hike. The National Medicinal Plants Board has been allocated Rs 18.59 crore while the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) has been allocated Rs 21.96 crore. The National Medicinal Plants Board undertakes promotional and contractual farming schemes to encourage in-situ conservation and ex-situ cultivation of medicinal plants for providing raw materials of assured quality for manufacturing of ASU&H (Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy) medicines. The Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy is a subordinate office under the Ministry of Ayush. It is an appellate authority for testing of all Ayush drugs in India. It also sets the standards for all Ayush drugs that are published in the form of pharmacopoeias. The autonomous bodies have been allocated Rs ...

Budget 2025: Govt proposes to extend startup incorporation till 2030

The government on Saturday proposed to extend the period of incorporation of eligible startups by five years for providing tax incentives, a move aimed at encouraging budding entrepreneurs. Eligible startups established before April 1, 2030, would get a tax incentive for three consecutive years out of ten years from incorporation. "We continue to support the Indian startup ecosystem. I propose to extend the period of incorporation by five years to allow the benefit available to startups which are incorporated before April 1, 2030," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech said. The move would help in providing greater liquidity for startups. Eligible start-ups can avail complete deduction of profit and gains for three consecutive years out of 10 years, beginning from the year of incorporation. The benefits under Section 80-IAC of the income tax law will help such enterprises improve their liquidity, cash availability, and work capital, boosting growth and productiv

Union Budget 2025: Agri industry lauds focus on pulses, seeds, tech

Industry leaders on Saturday welcomed the Union Budget 2025-26's agricultural initiatives, particularly applauding the government's emphasis on technology integration and seed development, while noting that certain sector-specific demands remain unaddressed. The Budget's agricultural roadmap, centered around making the sector a primary growth engine, has drawn positive responses for its focus on reducing import dependencies and boosting domestic production. "The government is focusing on agriculture as a growth engine of the economy and targeting to reduce dependence on import of edible oil," said Sanjeev Asthana, President of Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) in a statement. He expressed hope for an additional annual allocation of at least Rs 5,000 crore for the Oilseed Development Programme. However, some industry leaders pointed out gaps in the Budget provisions. Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) Chairman Ajai Rana, while welcoming schemes promoting ...

Budget 2025: Rs 3,481 cr for security expenses, making infra in LWE areas

The Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated Rs 3,481.27 crore for security-related expenditure (SRE) and the Special Infrastructure Scheme for Left Wing Extremist (LWE) areas as the BJP-led Centre has set a target of March 2026 to end the Maoists menace in the country. An amount of Rs 3,481.27 crore has been allocated in the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday. An amount of Rs 2,463.62 crore was allocated under this head in the budget for 2024-25. The allocation is considered significant in the wake of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's repeated statements that the Narendra Modi government has resolved to end Naxalism in the country by March 2026. Forty Naxalites have been killed in separate gunfights in the worst Naxal-hit state of Chhattisgarh this year till January-end. Last year, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh. Six Maoists were killed in Odisha in 2024, while eight were arrested and 24 had ...

Personal finance and Budget 2025: Key strategies for smart planning

Smart planning can help individuals maximise benefits and achieve long-term financial goals, say experts

Budget 2025 announcements 'bold', will boost consumption: Assocham

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has presented a bold budget which will boost consumption, particularly by the middle class. 'The finance minister has placed her confidence in the middle class for leading the consumption-led growth. At the same time, there is a clear focus on unleashing the potential of the MSMEs, Startups and exports," Assocham President Sanjay Nayar said on the the Union Budget for 2025-26. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on Saturday. It is a 'bold' budget to boost consumption particularly from the vibrant middle-class families, Nayar said. He said pick up in consumption demand would, in turn, encourage investment as well in the medium term while several employment-oriented sectors such as tourism, textile, handicrafts, footwear and toys have been given an immediate impetus for take-off. Ajay Singh, the Past President of Assocham said the Budget is "middle class-friendly" and will boost public spending settin

Financial planning post-Budget 2025, taking into account new changes

The period for filing updated returns, ITR-U, has been extended from 2 years to 4 years from the end of the relevant assessment year