Page 3 - Finance Ministry

GST rate cuts boost consumption, India set for steady growth: FinMin report

The GST rate rationalisation gave a "measurable" boost to consumption, and the Indian economy is on a stable footing to navigate risks and maintain growth momentum through the current fiscal, a finance ministry report said on Thursday. The Finance Ministry's Monthly Economic Review for October said that with inflationary pressures easing and recent tax reforms boosting household disposable incomes, the near-term consumption outlook appears increasingly positive. Retail inflation has reached an all-time low in the current series, dropping to 0.25 per cent in October 2025, down from 1.44 per cent in September 2025. The decline can largely be attributed to the complete impact of reduced GST rates, a favourable base effect, and significant falls in food inflation, the ministry said. "The rationalisation of GST rates has provided a measurable boost to consumption, as reflected in the strengthening of high-frequency indicators, including higher e-way bill generation, record festive-seaso

FinMin renews merger proposal of state-owned general insurance firms

The Finance Ministry is considering an earlier proposal to merge the three state-owned general insurance companies into a single entity, following their improved financial health, to achieve better efficiency and scale. The government infused Rs 17,450 crore between 2019-20 and 2021-22 in three PSU general insurance companies, namely Oriental Insurance, National Insurance and United India Insurance, to bring them out of financial distress. In the Budget for 2018-19, the then finance minister Arun Jaitley announced that the three companies -- Oriental Insurance, National Insurance, and United India Insurance -- would be merged into a single insurance entity. However, the government dropped the idea in July 2020, and the Union Cabinet rather approved a capital infusion of Rs 12,450 crore into the three general insurance companies. As their finances have improved, the finance ministry is doing a preliminary assessment of the merger of these entities with a view to improving their ...

FM Sitharaman meets infrastructure, energy experts on Budget for FY27

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday met experts from infrastructure and energy to elicit their views on the forthcoming Budget for FY27. Those present at the meeting include Afcons Managing Director S Paramasivan, Shapoorji Pallonji Infrastructure Capital Director Manish Tripathi, GMR Group Deputy Managing Director K Narayanarao, JM BAXI Group Director Sandeep Wadhwa and Infravision Foundation CEO Jagan Shah, among others. "Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. @nsitharaman chairs the 11th Pre-Budget Consultation with the experts from the #Infrastructure and #Energy Sectors in connection with the forthcoming Union Budget 2026-27, in New Delhi, today. "The meeting was also attended by Secretaries of @MinOfPower; @shipmin_India; @MORTHIndia; Chairman of Railway Board; and the Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India," the Ministry of Finance said in a social media post on X. Sitharaman is likely to present the Budget on February 1. She will present

Need to relook at Rs 15k ceiling for mandatory pension enrolment: DFS Secy

The country needs to relook at the Rs 15,000 a month salary ceiling for mandatory pension enrolment to provide the social security net for people, a top FinMin official said on Tuesday. It is "very bad" that some people, especially those in the private sector, who earn more than Rs 15,000 a month, do not have any pension cover and become dependent on children as they age, Department of Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju said here. "People who are earning less than Rs 15,000 a month, it is mandatory to enrol in the EPF (Employees Provident Fund) system, but for those earning more than Rs 15,000, it is not mandatory," Nagaraju explained. "We need to look at it...how do we secure the future of those who earn a little more also, but have a secure future and not depend on the children in the time of old age," the official added. In remarks at the CII Financing Summit here, Nagaraju termed this as an "inconsistency", which is different from the government's focus to ensure that maxi

Finance Ministry's Chintan Shivir discusses use of AI in govt processes

At a two-day Chintan Shivir in Rajasthan, the finance ministry discussed AI adoption in government processes

CBDT plans nationwide outreach ahead of new Income Tax Act, 2025 rollout

Starting January 2026, the CBDT will conduct nationwide awareness and training programmes to familiarise taxpayers with the new Income Tax Act, 2025, which comes into effect on April 1, 2026.

Finance ministry to vet ongoing schemes for 16th Finance Commission

Ministries asked for five-year outlays and outcome assessments

Govt urges banks to deepen presence in IIBX, expand GIFT City operations

The senior government official further noted that the intent is to strengthen the ecosystem around IIBX and ensure that banks play a larger role in facilitating bullion trade and related financial flo

Overhaul of GST processes in works for easier compliance, faster refunds

The government is finalising a major GST overhaul with automated refunds, pre-filled returns, and analytics-based scrutiny to simplify compliance and boost liquidity for MSMEs

Pre-Budget meeting: Ficci seeks faster resolution of tax disputes

Industry body calls for clearing ₹18 trillion in pending tax appeals, TDS rationalisation and tax neutrality for fast-track demergers ahead of Union Budget 2026

Economy accelerated in Q2FY26, momentum to sustain: Finance Ministry

The review also flagged the rise in long-term sovereign bond yields of major economies and said this could undermine the hedging role such bonds typically play in the financial markets

FinMin calls meet to spur gold and silver transactions through IIBX

The officials also noted that the upcoming meeting will take stock of the progress made since the last review held on August 6, 2025

Be polite in dealing with honest taxpayers: Sitharaman tells GST officers

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said GST officers should be polite and empathetic in dealing with honest taxpayers and asked them to use technology for faster registration approvals and grievance redressal. She also asked field formations to "proactively" undertake trade facilitation measures. "There is no iron wall between you and trader, there is thin air. You can understand where the difficulty is, rather than muddy it up any further," she said. Speaking at the inauguration of the CGST building in Ghaziabad, the minister flagged the need for timely conclusion of any disciplinary proceedings against officers of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). This would send a clear message from the CBIC board that any misconduct, dereliction of duty or unethical behaviour by officers will not be tolerated. She said the ultimate goal of tax administration is to make life easy for honest taxpayers and to do that GST officers should follow the laid down SoP and sho

A big reforms push for small biz: PMO, ministries readying major MSME plan

PMO, finance, and MSME ministries working on cluster-to-national reform roadmap with focus on jobs, cost control, legal ease, and innovation in small business sector

Finance ministry rules out Customs duty relief for magnet PLI scheme

Finance ministry has ruled out customs duty exemption for REPM-making machinery, saying capital subsidy under the PLI scheme will offset high import costs amid China's export curbs

Centre extends tenure of 16th Finance Commission till November 30

The government has extended the tenure of the 16th Finance Commission by one month till November 30. The 16th Finance Commission was constituted by the government on December 31, 2023, with former Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya as its Chairman. The report by the panel was due by October 31. The Commission will mainly make recommendations on the distribution of taxes between the Centre and states for a 5-year period starting April 1, 2026. The Finance Ministry, in a notification dated October 10, said that the date for submission of the 16th Finance Commission report is being extended till November 30. The Commission has four members and is assisted by Secretary Ritvik Pandey, two joint secretaries and one economic advisor. Retired bureaucrat Annie George Mathew and economist Manoj Panda are full-time members of the Commission, while SBI Group Chief Economic Advisor Soumya Kanti Ghosh and RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar are part-time members. Besides suggesting tax .

Finance ministry to review US tariff impact on MSME sector on Monday

DFS secy to meet PSBs to assess credit flow

Finance ministry raises questions over PLI plan for rare-earth output

Says these subsidies could leave bidder with little incentive to improve efficiency or cut costs

Private sector sees scope in India as govt maintains capex push: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said India's capacity to absorb external shocks is strong at a time when the world economy is undergoing a structural transformation. She said the task before nations is not only to manage uncertainty but to confront trade, financial and energy imbalances. "Geopolitical conflicts are intensifying. Sanctions, tariffs, and decoupling strategies are reshaping global supply chains... For India, these dynamics highlight both vulnerability and resilience. Our capacity to absorb shocks is strong, while our economic leverage is evolving. "Our choices will determine whether resilience becomes a foundation for leadership or merely a buffer against uncertainty," Sitharaman said at Kautilya Economic Conclave 2025 here. Addressing the session on 'Seeking Prosperity in Turbulent Times', Sitharaman said wars and strategic rivalries are redrawing the boundaries of cooperation and conflict. "Alliances that once appeared solid are being tested, and new .

FinMin urges RBI to push rollout of digital fraud detection platform

Once operational, DPIP will collect and analyse data from various sources to identify potential threats and prevent fraudulent activities