Budget 2026

Budget 2026-27: Key challenges for retailers and consumer packaged goods

Retailers and CPG firms face weak consumption, rising compliance and real estate costs, GST working capital issues, and low innovation, seek FTAs, labour reforms, tourism push, Census, ONDC revival

Budget 2026-27: Insurance industry bats for income tax relief for premiums

Insurers also seek an increase in threshold for taxing maturity proceeds of high-value policies

Budget 2026: No big-bang cuts but some relief likely for salaried class

Tax experts say the Centre is expected to strengthen the new tax regime through slab rationalisation and higher rebates rather than expanding deductions

Budget 2026-27: Mutual fund industry seeks capital gains relief

Urges Centre to roll back recent tax changes on debt schemes

Budget 2026 likely to be a non-event for the markets: Jio BlackRock AMC CIO

There has been significant representation to the government on Securities Transaction Tax (STT), and that remains something markets are watching closely

Can the Union Budget 2026-27 unveil a low debt-deficit path to growth?

The forthcoming Budget could think of maintaining public capital expenditure at 3% so that domestic resources are available for private investments

Recycling industry seeks GST cut on scrap ahead of Budget 2026-27

Apex body MRAI warns current GST regime hurting formalisation; demands removal of aluminium scrap duty

Budget decoded: How the government's plan shapes your family finances

From taxes and loans to savings, here's how Budget numbers affect homes

Budget 2026: PSU bank's officers union seeks tax relief on leased housing

Bank of Maharashtra officers' union has urged Centre to amend Section 17 and Rule 3 to exclude leased accommodation and concessional staff loans from perquisite taxation or align valuation with norms

Kerala under financial pressure due to Centre's curtailments: Governor

The budget session of the Kerala assembly commenced on Tuesday with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar reading out the Left government's policy which claimed that the state was under financial "pressures" due to the economic "curtailments" placed on it by the state. In his policy address marking the commencement of the 16th session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly, Arlekar said due to the restrictions on the state's borrowing limits and adjustments to the Integrated Goods and Services Tax, led to it being denied Rs 17,000 crore in the 2025-26 financial year. Besides that, it suffered a further "loss" of Rs 4,250 crore due to the "Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) methodology "which deviates from the accepted recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission", he said. Arlekar said that it has raised these concerns before the central government. The concerns raised by Kerala also include the "excessive centralisation of powers" and the union government's "interventions" in t

Budget recap: What changed after Union Budget 2025 for Indian taxpayers? | Budget 2026

Budget 2025 not only tweaked tax slabs, it reset how India taxes personal income. From zero tax up to ₹12 lakh under the new regime to fewer deductions and simpler compliance,

Budget 2026: Why more medical seats alone can't fix India's healthcare

As medical seats expand, experts urge Budget 2026 to prioritise faculty hiring, better training and infrastructure to secure India's healthcare workforce

Commerce dept pushing for major tweaks in SEZ norms to counter US tariffs

An overhaul of the existing two-decade-old law governing SEZs has been under discussion for almost four years

Disinvestment revival will be useful in sustaining capital expenditure

It is encouraging that the government's dependence on disinvestment receipts in managing its finances has reduced, but the instrument should not be discarded

Budget 2026: Startups, investors push regulatory changes to unlock capital

Venture investors seek policy changes to unlock capital for deep-tech firms, ease regulatory burdens

Centre announces India's first tailings policy for critical minerals

Tailings refer to the leftover waste material after valuable minerals are extracted from crushed ore, forming a slurry of rock particles, water and processing chemicals

Aligning Budget with city logistics to ease traffic congestion, pollution

With rapid urbanisation, Budget 2026-27 can strengthen urban logistics through city logistics plans, smart freight systems, digital tools and incentives to reduce congestion and pollution

Budget should back R&D, create long-term funding institution: MPC member

RBI Monetary Policy Committee member Nagesh Kumar on Monday said the government should provide policy incentives to promote R&D activities and create an institutional fund to ensure long-term capital for the industry in the forthcoming Budget. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget for 2026-27 on February 1. "For boosting the manufacturing-led growth, the Union Budget 2026-17 should consider some policy incentives for promoting in-house R&D activity of Indian companies, given its role in strengthening their productivity and competitiveness," Kumar told PTI in an interview. He said Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) and Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) are important measures adopted in recent times. "But they need to be complemented by incentives for corporate R&D activity," he said, adding that restoring the 200 per cent weighted tax deduction for R&D expenditure could be one such policy. According to Kumar, another ...

Budget 2026: Experts explain why the new tax regime still needs fixes

Experts argue cost-of-living relief can reduce the sharp tax jump after ₹12 lakh

Budget 2026: With under 2% of GDP, India's health spending lags global norms

India's public health spending remains below 2% of GDP, far lower than global standards and middle-income peers. As disease burdens rise, experts ask if underfunding health is now an economic risk