Page 33 - Latest Updates on Budget 2025-26

Dy CM DK Shivakumar urges Sitharaman to fund Bengaluru infra projects

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, requesting the inclusion of more infrastructural projects in Bengaluru in the upcoming Union Budget 2025-26 to reflect its status as the 'Silicon Valley of India'. The letter dated January 23 emphasised that, as a Member of Parliament representing Karnataka, Sitharaman must be aware that Bengaluru, with nearly 1.5 crore residents, urgently requires major infrastructure projects to sustain its growth and maintain its status as a leading technological hub. In his letter, Shivakumar highlighted key infrastructure projects for Bengaluru proposed by the state government that require financial assistance from the Centre. According to him, one of the crucial projects for the city is an underground vehicular tunnel. He mentioned that the East-to-West corridor, spanning 28.5 km from K R Puram Circle to Nayandahalli Junction on Mysore Road and estimated to cost approximately Rs 25,000 cro

FM participates in halwa ceremony, marking final stage of Budget 2025 prep

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday participated in a traditional halwa' ceremony, marking the final stage for the preparation of Union Budget 2025-26 to be unveiled on February 1 in the Lok Sabha. The ceremony is a customary ritual in which traditional dessert halwa' is prepared and served to officials and staff members of the finance ministry who are involved in the preparation of the budget. It is organised in the basement of North Block, which houses the ministry in the national capital and is attended by the finance minister and other high-ranking officials. According to sources, the Finance Minister participated in the ceremony and also took a round of the Budget Press and reviewed the preparations besides extending her best wishes to the officials concerned. Sitharaman is going to present Budget 2025-26, the eighth straight budget in a row, on the backdrop of GDP growth moderating to 6.4 per cent in the financial year as against 8.2 per cent recorded in the previou

Budget 2025: Insurers seek tax benefits, concessions for healthcare

Insurers are hopeful of a host of tax benefits, including concessions for the insurance and healthcare sectors, from the Union Budget 2025-26 to be unveiled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. SBI General Insurance MD and CEO Naveen Chandra Jha said that as India advances toward financial inclusivity and universal healthcare, the upcoming Budget is expected to further strengthen the healthinsurance sector. Initiatives like Bima Sugam, designed to achieve the goal of 'Insurance for All' by 2047, are expected to receive regulatory and fiscal support to address the protection gap, he noted. "Additionally, the budget is likely to focus on expanding access in underserved regions through government-private partnerships, targeted subsidies, and advancements in digital infrastructure," Jha added. Bajaj Allianz Life MD and CEO Tarun Chugh said India's economic growth presents immense opportunities for the insurance sector to enhance financial resilience. "Aligning tax ...

Budget2025: Invest in infra, startup, EdTech to create jobs, say experts

The government should provide investments and incentives in infrastructure, hospitality, startup ecosystem, EdTech and MSME sectors in the General Budget to boost employment and skill development, say industry experts. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the General Budget 2025 in the Lok Sabha on February 1. On expectations from the forthcoming budget, Noormahal Group CMD Manbeer Choudhary said the hospitality sector in India plays a crucial role in job creation and is one of the largest contributors to the economy. The Union Budget 2025 could be pivotal in enhancing the industry and significantly contributing to the vision of a USD 3 trillion tourism GDP by 2047, he added. Choudhary stated that one of the longing demands is granting industry status to the hospitality sector, as this recognition could lead to improved access to finance, regularised policies, and a more strategic approach to tourism development. The special allocation for infrastructure development, .

Union Budget 2025 Expectations highlights: Halwa ceremony to be held today in North Block

Union Budget 2025 Latest Updates: Catch all the latest developments related to Union Budget 2025 here

Budget 2025 Halwa Ceremony: All about this North block pre-budget tradition

The Central Secretariat's North Block will host the Halwa ceremony today, Jan 24. This marks the conclusion of the Union Budget preparation process and will be presided over by FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Budget 2025: Freebies and subsidies, their impact on government finances

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?

Budget 2025-26: Taxpayers expect greater exemption limit, simpler filing

Lightening the burden on the middle class will encourage them to spend more, say experts

Crop protection industry seeks tax cuts, R&D incentives in Union Budget

CropLife India on Friday urged the government to reduce goods and services tax (GST) on agrochemicals to 12 per cent and maintain a uniform 10 per cent basic customs duty for technical raw materials and formulations in its upcoming Budget proposal. The industry body also demanded a 200 per cent weighted deduction on research and development (R&D) expenses for agrochemical companies and requested fund allocation to strengthen agricultural extension mechanisms. "We request the government to create an ecosystem around a science-based, progressive, and predictive regulatory framework that will allow the sector to become globally competitive," the industry body said in a statement. Key demands include: lowering GST from 18 per cent to 12 per cent, maintaining uniform 10 per cent customs duty for both technical raw material and formulations, providing a 200 per cent R&D expense deduction and extending R&D benefits to units with a minimum Rs 50 crore fixed assets and Rs 10 crore .

What products and services may see their prices change in Budget 2025?

The Finance Minister is expected to prioritise economic growth, domestic manufacturing, and offer relief to consumers in the upcoming budget to address inflation, fiscal consolidation, and job creatio

Markets Today: Ultratech, IndiGo Q3; Denta Water IPO ends; Trump; Budget

Stock Market Today, Jan 24: The stock markets today will eye Q3 results of 81 domestic companies, Flash manufacturing PMI, IPOs, FII selling, and Budget news

Budget 2025-26: MSME ministry pitches for higher Mudra loan limits

In the proposal sent to the finance ministry, the MSME ministry has suggested raising the Shishu category limit to Rs 5 lakh and the Kishore category to Rs 10 lakh

Budget 2025-26: Banks expect steps for deposit mobilisation, tax breaks

Tax incentives will help sector as loan growth slows down, say experts

Bond market expects net borrowing of Rs 11 trillion in Union Budget 2025

Gross issuance may increase slightly due to large bond maturity, but is likely to stay within the range seen the past few years as the govt focuses keeping a lid on fiscal deficit

Unemployment rising on govt's wrong policies, Budget must give relief: Cong

The Congress on Thursday said the "ever-increasing" unemployment and inflation due to "wrong policies" of the Modi government have made life extremely difficult for lower and middle class families, and asserted that the country now needs a budget that provides relief from rising prices. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X which claimed that "back-breaking inflation in the last 10 years has emptied the pockets of the common people". "The Modani government has only taken care of its rich friends in the last ten years. Ever-increasing unemployment and inflation due to wrong policies of the government have made life extremely difficult for lower and middle class families," Ramesh said in a post in Hindi on X. The prices of milk, flour, pulses, petrol, diesel and vegetables are "skyrocketing", he said. "The burden of EMIs and daily needs is increasing on every household. The country now needs a budget that provides relief from ...

Industries across fields expect host of measures in Budget to propel growth

With Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman preparing to present the first full Budget of the Modi 3.0 government, industry players from various fields have put forth their demands for raising income tax limits, taking measures for more job creation, and further improving doing business to propel growth. The industry is hopeful that the government will announce a slew of measures to boost consumption by ensuring more money in the hands of people, boosting capital expenditure, giving relief to the housing sector and technological innovations. Moin Ladha, Partner at Khaitan & Co, opined that with the Union Budget 2025 fast approaching, the industry as a whole is confident of some interesting changes to the regulatory landscape, particularly changes to foreign investment policy, streamlined compliance, and key policy changes in certain sectors. One such key change that the Budget 2025 may bring is the introduction of 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the insurance sector, .

Budget 2025: Govt may raise farm allocation by over 15% to $20 billion

The additional cash would be directed to developing high-yielding seed varieties, increasing storage and supply infrastructure, and boosting production of pulse crops, oilseeds, vegetables, and dairy

Union Budget 2025 Expectations highlights: Automotive sector calls for tax rebates, AI push

Union Budget 2025 Latest Updates: Catch all the latest developments related to Union Budget 2025 here

Budget 2025: Why scrapping home loan tax benefits could hurt the common man

The socio-economic implications of scrapping the old tax regime for India's real estate sector - currently valued at $493 billion and contributing 7.3 per cent to GDP - deserve careful scrutiny

Budget must give tax cuts for individuals to boost consumption: Barclays

The government in FY26 Budget should announce an "effective" personal income tax cut to support consumption and demand, Barclays said on Thursday. In its FY25-26 Union Budget preview, Barclays said the key ask from the Budget, to be presented on February 1, is to support growth while adhering to fiscal consolidation path. Barclays, India Chief Economist, Aastha Gudwani said in a quest to support consumption, the finance minister should provide an effective personal income tax rate cut by further tweaking the tax slabs. This is unlikely to have a sizable fiscal cost. "That said, improved tax buoyancy will likely make up for revenue foregone under this announcement. We think a boost to consumption is needed, especially with private investment also now awaiting the increase in demand growth," Gudwani said. Barclays expects Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to announce changes to the new tax regime, making it lucrative for more and more taxpayers. In the last Budget, the government