Page 5 - Finance Ministry

'Double Diwali': Rejigged rates, red tape cuts to define GST 2.0

The proposal was announced by the prime minister Narendra Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his independence day speech as a Diwali gift

No, Minister: Subhash Chandra Garg's 2nd memoir mirrors tone of his first

The tenor of the second part of former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg's memoir is not dissimilar to that which pervaded his first one --and the title is a dead giveaway

World is witnessing trade policy dislocation, says finance ministry

Presence of risks to world economy make medium term fiscal projections difficult, the ministry emphasised

Parl panel urges FinMin to expedite full enforcement of GSTAT benches

A parliamentary committee has asked the finance ministry to adopt a "time-bound" approach and "actively pursue and coordinate" with all states to make Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) benches fully functional across the country. GSTAT is a crucial body for resolving Goods and Services Tax (GST) related disputes and significantly reducing the burden on higher courts. The government has notified the principal bench, to be located at New Delhi, and 31 state benches at various locations across the country. In May last year, the government had appointed Justice (Retd) Sanjaya Kumar Mishra as the first President of the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT). The government shall appoint the members in GSTAT on the recommendations of a search-cum-selection committee. The Standing Committee on Finance, chaired by BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, in its report expressed 'concern' over GSTAT benches not being fully operational nationwide. Significant delays persist in appointment of Memb

PSBs face FinMin heat over delay in release of customers' property docs

State Bank of India has 18,000 pending cases and Bank of Baroda has around 1,000 cases, said the official. The two companies had not responded to Business Standard's emails till Friday evening

Why are GCCs in India, touted as the next big thing, in a tax tangle?

The key problem, say tax experts, lies in the classification of GCCS and what they do: while tax authorities look at the share of operational work done in India

Inflation likely to be below RBI's target in FY26: FinMin review

The finance ministry's June 2025 review says inflation could fall below the RBI's 3.7% target, providing scope for further easing, though credit growth remains weak

Only 1.37% of eligible central employees opted for UPS as of July 20

Just 31,555 employees have enrolled in the Unified Pension Scheme despite a three-month extension; Finance Ministry highlights low adoption

FinMin sees room for more rate cuts as inflation remains below RBI's target

The finance ministry on Monday said there is room for further easing of interest rate by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the inflation is comfortably below the central bank's median target of 4 per cent. Retail inflation, based on Consumer Price Index (CPI), has remained below 4 per cent since February and dipped further to more than six-year-low of 2.82 per cent in May. "Core inflation remains subdued, and overall inflation is comfortably below the RBI's 4 per cent target, affording room for the easing cycle to be sustained," said the finance ministry's monthly review report. The central has cumulatively reduced the short-term benchmark lending rate (repo) by 100 basis points since February. The next meeting of the RBI's rate-setting panel -- Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) -- during August 4-6. The RBI has projected headline inflation at 3.4 per cent for the second quarter of the fiscal year, while in the first quarter, actual inflation came below the target of the RBI. "It

Slabs, cess, and trade-offs: India's GST faces a fork in the road

With rate slabs ripe for consolidation and the compensation cess at a crossroads, India's GST revamp must balance political economy, revenue stability, and taxpayer fairness

I-T Bill 2025: FinMin rejects demand for time limit on tax pleas' disposal

The finance ministry said the statute only provides for the time-lines and procedural requirements and the mechanism to make appellate procedure more efficient and taxpayer friendly

PSBs flag 1,629 wilful defaulters with dues over ₹1.62 trillion: FinMin

Public sector banks have identified 1,629 wilful defaulters with outstanding loans totalling Rs 1.62 lakh crore as of March 31, 2025, according to the Union Finance Ministry

Public sector bank NPAs drop to 2.58% from 9.11% in 4 yrs: Finance ministry

Gross NPAs of public sector banks dropped from 9.11% in 2021 to 2.58% in 2025, driven by RBI and government reforms, stricter recovery laws, and improved asset resolution frameworks

Govt forgone ₹99K cr in FY24 due to corporate tax incentives: MoS Finance

The government is estimated to have forgone around Rs 99,000 crore in revenue in the 2023-24 fiscal on account of tax incentives extended to corporates, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said on Tuesday. Corporate tax rates have been gradually reduced since 2016 while phasing out the exemptions and incentives. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Chaudhary gave the estimated revenue forgone due to the tax incentives by way of various deductions in corporate tax, from FY 2019-20 to 2023-24. The corporate tax revenue foregone in 2023-24 stood at Rs 98,999, followed by Rs 88,109 crore and Rs 96,892 crore in 2022-23 and 2021-22, respectively. In 2020-21 and 2019-20, the total corporate tax revenue foregone was Rs 75,218 crore and Rs 8,043 crore respectively. The minister was replying to a question from AAP MP Raghav Chadha on the estimated loss to the exchequer due to the corporate tax reductions from 2019-20 to 2024-25, and for the financial year (2024-25). Estimated

Govt ups engagement with rating agencies to show economic strength: FinMin

The government has strengthened its engagement with global rating agencies through a structured interactive process, during which the overall macroeconomic scenario is highlighted before them, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. Sovereign credit rating agencies such as S&P, Fitch, and Moody's have assigned India the lowest investment-grade rating. Moody's Ratings has assigned a 'Baa3' rating on India, with a 'stable' outlook, while S&P Global Ratings has a 'BBB-' with a 'positive' outlook. Fitch rates India at 'BBB-' with a 'stable' outlook, while Morningstar DBRS in May upgraded India's rating to 'BBB', with a stable trend. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the government has made sustained efforts to strengthen India's overall economic outlook, thereby positively impacting its credit profile. These include maintaining sound macroeconomic fundamentals, such as steady growth, price stability, fiscal consolidation, a ...

FinMin looks to widen infrastructure plans for capital expenditure push

Experts say that, given the higher capital spending by the Centre in April-May of FY26, there is room to raise the capex target beyond the budgeted ₹11.2 trillion

Delhi to receive Rs 600 cr Central funds under special assistance scheme

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the funds will be used to accelerate development projects across the city

India needs tax breaks, startup push to lead global wellness tourism

KPMG-FHRAI report projects India's medical tourism to reach $58.2 bn by 2035, calls for tax incentives, global branding and startup support to drive growth

From educator to minister, FM Nirmala Sitharaman opens up on her journey

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in a candid conversation in Shillong, reflects on her journey in education, personal values, North East development, and governance

Govt to give best of attention to promote GCCs: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Sitharaman says the Centre will offer tax, legal and administrative support to boost GCCs in India and guide states to develop hubs in tier 2 cities