Finance Ministry

States advised, not directed, to promote pulses and millets: FinMin

Finance Ministry clarifies its letter urging crop diversification is advisory, not binding, amid Tamil Nadu criticism over incentives for paddy and MSP-linked bonuses

Diesel duty raised to ₹55.5/l, ATF to ₹42/l; petrol remains nil: Centre

As per the notification, export duty on diesel has been raised to ₹55.5 per litre from ₹21.5 per litre, while duty on ATF has been increased to ₹42 per litre from ₹29.5 per litre

Reform-linked capex loans to states tied to RoW for telco towers

In the budget for the year 2026-27 outlay for SASCI scheme was enhanced from Rs 1.44 trillion in the revised estimate for FY2026 to Rs 2 trillion

CII asks Finance Ministry for fiscal support amid West Asia crisis

Industry body proposes credit support, tax relief and policy steps to shield MSMEs, exporters and energy-intensive sectors from disruptions caused by the ongoing West Asia crisis

Insolvency law crucial in improving health of banking sector: FM Sitharaman in Lok Sabha

Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said in the Lok Sabha that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) has been a main and very crucial factor in improving the health

Parl panel seeks 'golden share' safeguard for PSU stake dilution below 51%

Finance panel asks Centre to outline legal safeguards, including golden share, to retain strategic control in PSUs if government stake falls below 51 per cent

Finance ministry cuts MeitY allocation by 17% for FY27 amid underspending

Finance ministry cuts MeitY's FY27 allocation by 17% due to underspending in PLI, semiconductor and AI Mission schemes, with panel flagging concerns over fund utilisation

Create energy policy to shield economy from oil shock: Parl panel to FinMin

A parliamentary panel on Tuesday suggested that the Department of Economic Affairs should develop a strategic energy mitigation framework to protect the economy from oil shocks and ensure long-term stability. In addition, the Standing Committee on Finance, in its report, emphasised that the rapidly evolving global competition for critical minerals and rare earth elements, which are essential for semiconductors, renewable energy systems, electric mobility, defence technologies, and the development of alternative fuels, requires a coordinated national strategy. The panel, headed by senior BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, has, therefore, recommended that the government accelerate efforts to secure diversified international supply chains for critical minerals, such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements, while simultaneously strengthening domestic exploration, processing, and value-addition capabilities to support emerging sectors, including renewable energy, electric mobility, and ..

FinMin amends minimum public float rules for companies planning IPOs

The Finance Ministry has amended rules for minimum public offers floated by companies for getting listed on stock exchanges and linked it with post-issue capital. The Securities Contracts (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2026, notified on March 13, states that companies with post-issue capital of more than Rs 1,600 crore and below Rs 5,000 crore will have to increase their public shareholding to at least 25 per cent within three years from the day of listing in the manner specified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). The rules further state that at least 2.5 per cent of each class of securities must be offered to the public at the time of listing, irrespective of the post-issue threshold. It also said that a company with post-issue capital of up to Rs 1,600 crore, at least 25 per cent of each class of equity shares or debentures convertible into equity shares issued by the company must be offered to the public. If the post-issue capital is more than Rs 1,600 crore, bu

Govt seeks LS nod for additional expenditure of ₹2.81 trillion in FY26

Finance Ministry seeks Parliament approval for Rs 2.01 trillion net additional FY26 spending through the second supplementary demand for grants, with allocations for subsidies and reserve funds

Govt seeks Lok Sabha nod for ₹2.81 trn gross additional expenditure in FY26

The government on Tuesday sought Lok Sabha approval for gross additional expenditure of over Rs 2.81 lakh crore in current fiscal year. The second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "Approval of Parliament is sought to authorise gross additional expenditure of Rs 2,81,289.26 crore. Of this, the proposals involving net cash outgo aggregate to Rs 2,01,142.96 crore and gross additional expenditure, matched by savings of the Ministries/Departments or by enhanced receipts/recoveries aggregates to Rs 80,145.71 crore," said the Supplementary Demands for Grants.

India's urban reset: What 16th FC report, Budget 2026-27 mean for cities

Record Finance Commission grants promise greater fiscal autonomy for cities, but sharp cuts in central schemes shift the burden of urban transformation to states and municipalities

FinMin asks banks to step up efforts to reduce delays in IBC cases

At a review meeting, the finance ministry directed public sector banks to minimise adjournments and speed up CIRP filings, aiming to accelerate NCLT admission and resolution timelines

Sebi examining Calcutta Stock Exchange exit application, says MoS finance

Capital market regulator Sebi is examining the application seeking voluntary exit of the Calcutta Stock Exchange (CSE) from its business, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said on Monday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Chaudhary said Sebi has constituted a Working Group on the matter and appointed a valuation agency for verification and valuation of CSE's assets and liabilities. Certain information sought by Sebi from CSE is awaited, he said. "Sebi would be passing a speaking order giving an exit to CSE from stock exchange business after taking a view on exclusively listed companies of CSE, its assets and liabilities, and relaxation from any regulations in order to facilitate exit," he said. The Calcutta Stock Exchange (CSE), in its February 18, 2025, letter to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), sought voluntary exit as a Stock Exchange under the Sebi Exit Policy for stock exchanges. "The proposal is at the stage of examination befor

Centre reviewing Rodtep scheme to assess and justify its continuation

Reassessment is a part of exercise to rationalise central-sector schemes to enhance efficiency

DGGI probe into banned online gaming leads to Fino Bank arrest: Sources

Finance Ministry sources say probe has flagged GST evasion, shell entities and payment aggregators in alleged banned online gaming operations, leading to arrest of a senior bank official

On the right track: Asset monetisation will boost efficiency and growth

Given fiscal constraints and the need to lower the debt-to-GDP ratio, the Union finance ministry sees reviving asset monetisation as key to sustaining growth momentum

BS Manthan: Sitharaman flags fund utilisation gap, cautious on China FDIs

FM Sitharaman says political choices affect fund usage, defends calibrated disinvestment, and reiterates cautious stance on Chinese investment and BITs while backing domestic reforms

NMP 2.0 for FY26-30 launched: Govt aims ₹16.7 trn from asset monetisation

Private investment of Rs 5.8 trillion also included in the target

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