Page 19 - Latest Updates on Budget 2025-26

Budget 2025: Govt to implement scheme to make India toy hub of world

The Union government in the FY25 Budget on Saturday announced a scheme to make India a global hub for toys by focusing on cluster development. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech said the scheme will focus on development of clusters, skills, and a manufacturing ecosystem that will create high-quality, unique, innovative, and sustainable toys that will represent the 'Made in India' brand. "Building on the National Action Plan for Toys, we will implement a scheme to make India a global hub for toys," she said. India's toy exports dropped from USD 177 million in 2021-22 to USD 152 million in 2023-24 due to overall decline in the global demand of these products. The government's steps such as mandatory quality norms and increase in customs duties have significantly helped the domestic toy players to boost manufacturing and reduce dependence on Chinese imports. The industry has long faced challenges in the global trade landscape, consistently being a net importer o

What is standard deduction for salary, pension income post Budget 2025?

The standard deduction was last hiked in Interim Budget 2024, but only in the new tax regime

Govt to set up National Manufacturing Mission to promote Make in India

The government on Saturday announced to set up a National Manufacturing Mission to further promote Make in India initiative. The Mission's mandate will include five focus areas ease and cost of doing business; future ready workforce for in-demand jobs; a vibrant and dynamic MSME sector; availability of technology; and quality products. The scheme will cover small, medium and large industries, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her Budget speech. The National Manufacturing Mission, she said, will provide policy support, governance and monitoring framework for central ministries and states. "Our government will set up a National Manufacturing Mission covering small, medium and large industries for furthering Make in India," she said. She said that support will be provided to develop domestic manufacturing capacities for our economy's integration with global supply chains. Sectors will be identified based on objective criteria. "Facilitation groups with participation of se

How will Budget 2025 impact senior citizens?

Budget 2025 introduces tax relief measures for senior citizens, enhancing savings potential

Budget: Taxpayers get relief on 2 self-occupied properties under new rule

his amendment provides significant tax relief, reduces compliance burdens, and encourages homeownership by making it more affordable for middle-class families

Rahul Gandhi criticises Union Budget as 'band-aid for bullet wounds'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed the Union Budget as a "band-aid for bullet wounds," saying that the Centre was "bankrupt of ideas". He said solving the economic crisis demanded a paradigm shift. "A band-aid for bullet wounds! Amid global uncertainty, solving our economic crisis demanded a paradigm shift," Gandhi said in a post on X The Congress earlier criticised the Union Budget as bereft of cure to "illnesses" of stagnant real wages, lack of buoyancy in mass consumption, sluggish rates of private investment, and a complicated GST system that the economy is suffering from. It also accused the Narendra Modi government of appearing to offer "bonanza" to Bihar, governed by NDA ally Nitish Kumar, and "cruelly" ignoring Andhra Pradesh, another pillar of the same alliance.

Budget 2025: Civil aviation gets Rs 2,400 cr, UDAN funds cut to Rs 540 cr

The budgetary allocation for the civil aviation ministry has been cut by nearly 10 per cent to Rs 2,400.31 crore for the next financial year, with the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN set to get a lower amount of Rs 540 crore. The allocation in the Union Budget 2025-26, presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Saturday, is less compared to Rs 2,658.68 crore in the revised 2024-25 Budget. Out of the total allocation for the next fiscal starting from April 1, 2025, UDAN will get Rs 540 crore, which is 32 per cent lower compared to Rs 800 crore in the year-ago period. Interestingly, Sitharaman has announced that UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme will be modified to connect 120 new destinations. As per the budget papers, the allocation for the DGCA and BCAS have increased marginally to Rs 330 crore and Rs 95 crore, respectively, for 2025-26. For the Customs Cost Recovery (CCR) charges to Airport Authority of India (AAI) and AAI Cargo Logistics and

Budget 2025 among the most balanced budgets; to bring bulls out of shackles

Budget 2025 Highlights: As expected, the union government has very little room for fiscal maneuvering and has tried to maintain a fine balance

India's tax relief might not spur growth or debt reduction: Moody's

Moody's Ratings has stated that the Indian government's decision to reduce the tax burden on middle-class consumers is unlikely to have a significant impact on economic growth

Budget 2025 Market Highlights: FMCG, Realty shares shine; Sensex ends flat at 77,506, Nifty 23,482

Union Budget 2025 Stock Market Highlights: FMCG and Realty shares emerged as top performers in the sectoral markets, with the Nifty FMCG, and Realty indices settling higher by over 3 per cent each

Budget 2025: Zero tax for income up to Rs 12.75 lakh. See how much you'll save

The tax rebate extends up to Rs 12.75 lakh when factoring in standard deductions under the new tax regime, making it the most significant tax relief since 1997

'Tax cuts to boost consumption', say top executives across sectors

The government's plan is estimated to help around 25-30 million personal tax payers save about 100,000 rupees annually, according to Kamal Bali, managing director of Volvo Group India

Power sector PSUs' investments to rise nearly 21% to Rs 86,138 cr in FY26

The government has proposed to increase total investment by the nine state-owned power sector firms by nearly 21 per cent to Rs 86,138.48 crore in 2025-26 compared to the previous fiscal year. According to the Budget document, the Revised Estimate (RE) of investment by these nine firms is pegged at Rs 71,278.33 crore for 2024-25 while the budgeted estimate (BE) of Rs 67,286.01 crore. State-owned power giant NTPC recorded the maximum increase in investment to Rs 26,000 crore in the next fiscal year from RE as well BE of Rs 22,700 crore in 2024-25. Similarly, the investment by Power Grid Corp will be raised to Rs 25,000 crore in the next fiscal year from the RE of Rs 20,000 crore and BE of Rs 12,250 crore in 2024-25. The investment by SJVN Ltd will be Rs 12,000 crore in FY26 as against the RE of Rs 7,000 crore this fiscal year. The amount was fixed at Rs 12,000 crore in BE for FY25. The investment by the NHPC will also go up to Rs 13,000 crore in the next fiscal year from RE of Rs .

'Nothing new, all about Bihar elections': Opposition slams Budget 2025

The Opposition has slammed Budget 2025 as 'all about Bihar elections', calling it biased and neglectful of common people, the middle class, and key states

Budget 2025: Govt allocates Rs 2.87 trn for highways ministry for FY26

The government on Saturday allocated Rs 2,873,33.16 crore for the road transport and highways ministry for 2025-26, marginally 2.41 per cent up from last year's outlay of 2,805,18.80 crore. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday also increased the allocation to state-owned National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to Rs 1,878,03 crore from last year's Rs 1,693,71 crore. The NHAI's total debt at the beginning of the current fiscal year was pegged at Rs 3.35 lakh crore, which stood about Rs 2.76 lakh crore at the end of third quarter of FY25. The Budget for 2025-26 makes no provision for borrowings by the NHAI for the next financial year, to reduce the highway developer's debt.

SWAMIH boosts affordable housing, fund of Rs 15,000 cr to be established

Under the SWAMIH Fund, 50,000 dwelling units in stressed housing projects have been completed, and keys handed over to homebuyers

'Tax proposals to boost market flows, consumption,' NSE MD reacts to budget

NSE's chief executive and managing director Ashish Chauhan on Saturday welcomed tax proposals in the Union budget, saying it will help increase flows into the markets. The proposal of nil tax on incomes up to Rs 12.75 lakh per annum for salaried professionals will also help consumption, the chief of the country's largest stock bourse said. "The much-expected tax relief is given to the taxpayer up to Rs 12.75 lakh per annum for a salaried person does not have to pay even a rupee as tax. I think that is a very welcome move, which will help consumption and also investment increase into markets," Chauhan told PTI. He added that as consumption increases, the profitability of companies will also increase. The NSE chief also welcomed the fiscal management proposals presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the budget. He said the budget aims to give a fillip to growth by committing higher investments with a 10 per cent growth in the capital expenditure. The proposals for refor

Govt to provide $647 mn to support strategic reserve oil purchases in FY26

The budget proposals also include an allocation of about Rs 180 crore for operation and maintenance of the SPRs and about Rs 335 crore for purchase of land and construction of new caverns

Transformative direct tax reforms in Budget 2025 for middle class empowerment

The reforms are part of the Government's broader strategy to stimulate consumption, enhance ease of doing business and boosting economic growth

UDAN scheme to improve regional connectivity with 120 new destinations: FM

Finance Minister revealed plans to facilitate the construction of Greenfield airports in Bihar, aimed at addressing the state's future aviation needs