Page 37 - Latest Updates on Budget 2025-26

Union Budget 2025 expectations updates: Govt should target Rs 11 trillion capital spend, says ICRA

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

Fixed deposits: Budget 2025 tax incentives may impact interest rates

Fixed deposits (FDs) remain one of the most popular investment options for Indians

Health and education reforms: A blueprint for India's manufacturing dream

India's ambition to lead global manufacturing depends on tackling malnutrition and improving education. The Union Budget 2025 offers a chance to invest in these sectors, leading to sustainable growth

Union Budget 25: How it can affect consumer behavior & your pocket

Direct tax increases on goods and services, like higher GST rates or customs duties, directly raise the cost to consumers

Union Budget 2025 updates: Medtech industry calls for standard GST rate

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

Union Budget 2025: Unchanged defence allocation, focus on reforms likely

India's defence budget as a share of GDP and the national budget has declined steadily year after year, reaching its lowest point since the 1960s, even as strategic challenges persist

Budget 2025: Tax sops, investments in new tech on Indian startups wishlist

Industry body Nasscom has also called for the Centre to set up a dedicated fund to enable early-stage investments into tech startups between Series A and B rounds of fundraising

Budget 2025: Experts urge govt to rethink FD tax rules for investors

Many investors are contemplating whether to prioritise safer investment options like fixed deposits (FDs)

Budget 2025: Experts predict impact on small savings schemes PPF, NSC

Rising inflation and shifting economic priorities are prompting investors to seek alternative avenues offering better returns

Govt should aim Rs 11 trn capex, give relief to taxpayers in Budget: ICRA

The government should target a capital spending of Rs 11 lakh crore in the Budget for the next fiscal while giving inflation-adjusted relief on personal income tax to boost consumer spending, rating agency ICRA said on Wednesday. ICRA Chief Economist Aditi Nayar said last year's record budgeted capital expenditure of Rs 11.11 lakh crore is likely to fall short by about Rs 1.4 lakh crore and the next year's target should be fixed at the last year's level with a focus on keeping borrowing within reasonable limits. Further, Nayar said capex numbers are trailing the run rate required to get to the Budget target in the current fiscal. Between April and November 2024, capex spending stood at Rs 5.13 lakh crore, 46 per cent of the Budget estimates of Rs 11.11 lakh crore. "We are looking at a large shortfall in the current fiscal. For next year, we are hoping that we will get fiscal space to prioritise capex... For FY26, based on the revenue numbers...a fiscal deficit of 4.5 per cent of GD

Budget Pulse: What does the middle class want from Union Budget 2025?

As the Union Budget 2025 draws near, the middle class has its fingers crossed, hoping for relief and meaningful reforms. Watch the video to know their key expectations.

Income tax rate on affordable housing projects be lower at 15%: CREDAI

Realtors' apex body CREDAI has suggested that the government in the upcoming Budget should fix income tax on affordable housing projects at only 15 per cent, saying this would help enhance supply of low-cost homes that have maximum demand. The Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), which represents more than 13,000 developers, has made many suggestions for the upcoming Union Budget to address critical challenges faced by the sector. The recommendations include revision of definition of affordable housing, tax sops to real estate companies to build affordable homes and enhancing deduction limit of principal and interest paid by individuals on home loans. CREDAI has expressed serious concern over falling share of affordable housing segment in total fresh supply in the past few years. With reduction in supply, the share of affordable homes in the overall sales have also come down. It has stressed on the need to arrest this declining trend on a priorit

Budget may levy higher import duties to stem rupee slide: EY's Srivastava

The government, in the forthcoming Budget, could consider levying higher tariffs on imports to check the significant decline in rupee value witnessed in the past few months, said EY Chief Policy Advisor DK Srivastava. The noted economist argued that higher import duties would curb the demand for dollars from importers and help arrest the sliding value of the rupee, which touched a historic low of 86.70 to a dollar on January 13. In an interview with PTI, Srivastava said the sudden downward movement of the rupee against the US dollar is going to be a challenge for policymakers -- for Budget makers on the fiscal side and the RBI on the monetary side. The expectation is that the US economy is going to recover, and therefore, a lot of financial resources are moving to the world's largest economy. Srivastava, who is a Member of the Advisory Council to the 15th Finance Commission, also said it is not just the rupee but other European currencies are also experiencing similar pressure. "In

Medtech sector seeks standard GST rate, export incentives in Budget

The scheme aims to refund to exporters the embedded central, state, and local duties and taxes paid on inputs that were so far not refunded or rebated

Insurance industry seeks tax incentives, Insurance Act amendment in Budget

Considering the low penetration in the country, experts believe additional funding could provide vital support for the segment

Commerce ministry may seek 5-year extension of interest equalisation scheme

The commerce ministry is likely to seek further extension of the interest equalisation scheme in the forthcoming Budget on pre- and post-shipment rupee export credit for another five years to promote the country's outbound shipments, an official said. The scheme ended on December 31 last year. The scheme helps exporters from identified sectors and all MSME manufacturer exporters to avail of rupee export credit at competitive rates at a time when the global economy is facing headwinds. Exporters get subsidies under the Interest Equalisation Scheme for pre- and post-shipment rupee export credit. "The ministry may request for the extension of the scheme," the official said. The scheme was started on April 1, 2015, and was initially valid for five years up to March 31, 2020. It has been continued thereafter, including a one-year extension during COVID-19, and with further extensions and fund allocations. In September last year, the government extended the scheme till December 31, ...

Govt may forecast stronger growth next FY while sticking to fiscal targets

It is likely to forecast nominal economic growth of 10.3 per cent-10.5 per cent. That's higher than the forecast of 9.7 per cent for the current year

FinMin meet: MFI representatives seek lowering of asset qualification norms

In 2022, the RBI updated regulations for MFIs, which now apply to all entities in the sector, including banks, small finance banks, and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs)

'Genuinely cares for his team': L&T HR on chairman's 90-hr workweek remark

L&T HR defends chairman SN Subrahmanyan's 90-hour workweek comments, stating they were 'misinterpreted' and 'taken out of context,' amid widespread backlash

Centre to simplify decades-old income tax filing rules in upcoming Budget

The changes involve simplifying the language and rationalizing information by using formulas and tables, and won't include any adjustments to tax rates and policy, the people said