Page 3 - Budget 2026

Why India is resetting GDP and CPI base years and what the change means

From shopping baskets to growth calculations, India is updating the base years for CPI inflation and GDP to reflect today's economy, a recalibration that will change headline numbers without altering

Defence, semi-conductors, rare earths : Where to invest after Budget 2026

Real sinals are embedded in the Budget document-policy continuity, withdrawal of customs duties on manufactured goods, and a clear shift towards strategic sectors like defence, semiconductors

India set to share cross-border crypto transaction data from April 2027

The data will be shared under the OECD-led Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, enabling automatic exchange of crypto transaction details between tax authorities

We framed this Budget on a larger plank, not based on any one incident: FM

The India-US trade deal, had it come a little earlier, would not have made the Union Budget any different, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said

Headwinds may be turning into tailwinds for foreign inflows: FM Sitharaman

FM Nirmala Sitharaman says another round of Customs clean-up soon

A season for textiles, from Union Budget to biggest India Art Fair so far

As textiles return to the policy spotlight, India Art Fair reflects this moment, exploring fabric and fibre as living archives of labour, identity, and cultural memory

India's cities need mobility reform, not just infrastructure spending

The Budget puts cities at the heart of growth, but without fixing buses, walking and last-mile links, India's urban mobility crisis will keep choking productivity

Outcome Budget data raises questions on returns from government capex

The Outcome Budget or OOMF is meant to link government spending to measurable results, but near-identical targets across years highlight gaps in assessing returns on public investment

Defence spending rises in Union Budget, but capability gains remain key

Operation Sindoor shapes FY27 defence Budget as India lifts spending to 2% of GDP, boosts capital outlay and modernisation to prepare for a potential two-front conflict

Budget 2026 backs decarbonisation, clean energy supply chains

Union Budget 2026-27 lays out a long-term energy strategy focused on decarbonisation and supply chain resilience through CCUS funding, nuclear incentives, battery storage support, logistics upgrades

Budget 2026 extends immunity to misreporting, but with key trade-offs

The proposal extends relief from penalty and prosecution in misreporting cases, but taxpayers must forgo the right to appeal and carefully weigh the strength of their case

Housing ministry raises EWS housing target under PMAY 2.0 by 350%

Targeted housing under BLC component raised from 111,000 to 500,000 homes in FY27

Scrapping of courier export cap brings cheer to logistics, ecom players

The scrapping of the Rs 10 lakh per-consignment cap on courier exports in the Union Budget 2026 is expected to ease bottlenecks for MSMEs and D2C startups and improve cross-border e-commerce economics

2019 to 2026: Of Sitharaman's saris, weaves and the fiscal fine print

Each drape, border and weave has echoed the fiscal moment-tight seams in lean years, bolder colours in recovery, steadier textures as India's economic story unfolded, measured carefully in six yards

Budget 2026 simplifies tax rules for PF trusts: What changes for you

EPFO said the rationalisation will serve the interests of all stakeholders by ensuring convergence between the Income Tax Act and EPF laws.

No tax risk for foreign companies setting up data centres in India: FinMin

The Budget proposal of a 20-year tax holiday to foreign companies which provide cloud services globally will be available only to those which have set up a MeitY-notified data centre in India, and there will not be any risk for such overseas firms of their global income being taxed in India on this account, sources said on Wednesday. Finance Ministry sources also said that the Budget announcement would also give certainty to foreign companies that are in the business of providing cloud services and procurement services from a data centre in India. "Now Indian data centres can confidently offer their services to such global cloud entities, without these global entities perceiving any tax risk if they use Indian data centres," sources added. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her 2026-27 Budget, had proposed to provide a tax holiday till 2047 to any foreign company that provides cloud services to customers globally by using data centre services from India. It will, however, need

Why Budget tax sops to attract foreign investment upset Indian data centres

The new Budget provides for tax sops to attract more foreign investments in India's data centres. So why are some Indian players upset?

US tariffs not the only factor for Customs duty changes: CBIC chairman

CBIC Chairman Vivek Chaturvedi explains the Budget's calibrated customs duty exemptions, SEZ flexibility and tariff reforms amid global trade headwinds

India-US trade deal lifts great deal of uncertainty, say FinMin officials

Department of financial services (DFS) secretary M Nagaraju said: "Dark clouds of uncertainty had lifted from the world economy and industry should now cheer up and heave a sigh of relief"

MSDE may launch new entrepreneurship scheme for students: Budget documents

Budget documents say the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is developing a national entrepreneurship scheme for students across schools and colleges