Page 10 - Budget 2026

Political Pulse: What the Budget 2026 means for four poll-bound states

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stressed youth-led growth, SME capacity building and region-specific measures, seeking to address trade challenges while signalling outreach to poll-bound states

Pharma leap: Volume to value-based growth as India targets $500-bn industry

The Budget recognises that innovation must translate into tangible benefits for patients

A Budget for uncertain times: Modest fiscal path, services-led growth

FM goes for modest fiscal consolidation, while focusing on services and state capex for growth

16th FC report: From Andhra Pradesh to West Bengal, who gets how much

Southern states are projected to get a marginal increase

Rising stress, weak redress: Here are the key challenges in Budget 2026

Unemployment in the age group 15-24 year remains extremely high and structurally sticky even after the pandemic shock

Budget 2026 reflects a maturing economy with focus on long-term growth

Budget 2026 prioritises fiscal prudence and structural reforms, betting on manufacturing, technology and exports to build a Viksit Bharat by 2047

Budget 2026-27: Inside the fiscal consolidation numbers and open questions

The Budget has largely eschewed political populism, even as several states are to go for Assembly elections in the coming months

Union Budget 2026-27: Consumers cautiously expect a brighter future

Private consumption grows 7% in FY26, but its GDP share stays flat as household finances remain strained despite rising consumer confidence

16th Finance Commission retains 41% devolution, introduces GDP criterion

the 16th Finance Commission kept tax devolution at 41%, added GDP contribution as a new criterion, dropped revenue deficit grants, and pushed states towards stronger fiscal discipline

Budget 2026 raises FY27 capex 11.5% to ₹12 trillion, eyes infra growth

Union Budget 2026-27 raises capital expenditure to ₹12.2 trn, reinforcing the govt's infrastructure-led growth strategy, even as spending in the current fiscal is expected to fall short of estimates

Budget 2026: Tax holiday for foreign Cloud cos using data centres in India

Budget 2026 proposes tax holiday till 2047 for foreign cloud firms using Indian data centres, aiming to position India as a global AI and hyperscale data hub

Union Budget 2026-27: Reform over rhetoric, growth with guardrails

From medical hubs to incentives for seaplane manufacturing, the Budget broadens demand creation beyond brick-and-mortar

Budget 2026: Industrial policy takes centre stage, deeper fixes pending

And bigger problems await from policy bottlenecks that the Budget has left untouched

Union Budget 2026-27: Divestment, monetisation goal at ₹80,000 crore

Budget 2026 raises the FY27 disinvestment and asset monetisation target to Rs 80,000 crore, banking on a stronger pipeline of stake sales and infrastructure monetisation despite a shortfall in FY26

Union Budget 2026-27: Govt borrowing challenge passed on to RBI

Budget FY27 signals deeper banking reforms, possible PSB consolidation and higher borrowing, shifting the onus to RBI to manage yields and liquidity

Union Budget 2026-27: Only a piecemeal boost for manufacturing growth

Budget 2026 advances trust-based Customs reforms and sector-specific relief, but stops short of a clear tariff-cut roadmap needed to boost MSME-led manufacturing growth

Union Budget 2026-27: Burden on middle income rises slightly further

Despite a rise in tax filers, low reported incomes limit average tax contribution, prompting a simplified Income Tax Act from April 2026 to boost compliance and buoyancy

Budget 2026: Charting path to Viksit Bharat amid global uncertainty

In choosing prudence over populism and strategic self-reliance over protectionism, the FM has presented a Budget worthy of India's aspirations

Union Budget 2026-27: FDI improves, but excess capacity remains

Manufacturers still have excess capacity to utilise, hindering new investments

Budget 2026-27: A reformist reckoner for taxes, certainty and relief

Budget 2026 signals a decisive push to cut tax litigation, decriminalise defaults and offer long-term certainty as India prepares to roll out the new income-tax law