Nirmala Sitharaman

LS to take up Health, National Security Cess Bill for consideration today

The Bill, as stated by FM Sitharaman in the Lower House, aims to augment the resources for meeting expenditure on national security and for public health and to levy cess for the said purposes

New cess revenue to be shared with states, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Parliament passes Central Excise (Amendment) Bill 2025

States to get share of new health-security cess through schemes: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the proposed Health and National Security Cess is expected to act as a deterrent to pan masala consumption and will not be levied on essential commodities

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: FM moves Health Security se National Security Cess Bill in Lok Sabha

Parliament Winter Session Day 4 LIVE Updates: Follow all the latest updates from Parliament as government and opposition debate key issues

Sitharaman to move Health and National Security Cess Bill in LS today

Earlier on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha passed a Bill aimed at increasing excise duty on tobacco products and their manufacturing after a discussion

IMF hasn't questioned GDP growth figures, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

India got a 'C' grade only for its national accounts data because the base year used is still 2011 to 2012

'Tobacco levy neither a new tax nor a cess': FM Nirmala Sitharaman

While the minister said the Centre had surrendered its power to levy excise duty on tobacco in 2017, excise duty did continue after GST - though at a nominal level

Explained: What's the Central Excise Bill, 2025 moved by govt in Lok Sabha?

The Bill was tabled earlier amid the Opposition's protest demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls

FM flags global tax risks from digitisation, new financial products

At Global Forum, India urges stronger transparency, confidentiality systems to tackle evolving financial structures

Parliament clears Manipur GST Amendment Bill; FM explains key reforms

Parliament clears the Manipur GST amendment, aligning the state with national GST reforms, including track-and-trace, simplified voucher rules, clarified definitions and uniform appeal procedures

Parliament Winter Session highlights: Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid Oppn protest against SIR

Parliament Winter Session LIVE Updates: Follow all the latest updates from Parliament as government and opposition debate key issues

Digitalisation, financial products call for global tax info exchange: FM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said with the growing digitalisation of the economy and emergence of new financial products, countries globally will have to cooperate with timely exchange of information, while ensuring fairness and public trust in the tax system. Speaking at the 18th Global Forum Plenary meeting, Sitharaman said technological tools like artificial intelligence, along with judgement, should be used to ensure that tax information exchanged among jurisdictions leads to measurable outcomes. The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes is a multilateral framework comprising 170 jurisdictions. It monitors and peer reviews the implementation of international standards on transparency and information exchange. Stating that confidentiality and cybersecurity must be maintained with great care, the minister called for joint attention and cooperation to the new challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy, emergence o

Govt seeks Parliament nod for ₹41k crore additional spending in FY26

First supplementary demands for grants tabled in Parliament focus on fertiliser and petroleum subsidies amid rising costs

FinMin does not advise LIC; its Adani investments as per SOPs: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said her ministry does not issue advisory or directions to Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) regarding its investment decisions, and emphasised that the investments that the state-owned insurer made in Adani Group were as per established SOPs. India's largest insurer has, over the years, made investment decisions across companies based on fundamentals and detailed due diligence. Following due diligence as per established standard operating procedures (SOPs), it has bought shares across half a dozen listed companies of Adani Group, whose book value stands at Rs 38,658.85 crore and invested another Rs 9,625.77 crore in debt instruments of the conglomerate. "The Ministry of Finance does not issue any advisory/direction to LIC in connection with matters related to investment of LIC fund," she said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha. The investment decisions of the state-owned insurer, she said, are taken by "LIC alone ...

Govt seeks Lok Sabha nod for ₹41,455 crore extra expenditure in FY26

The government on Monday sought Parliament's nod for net additional spending of Rs 41,455 crore in the current fiscal, which includes over Rs 18,000 crore expenditure towards fertiliser subsidy. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2025-26 in the Lok Sabha. It seeks Parliament's approval for a gross additional expenditure of Rs 1.32 lakh crore. This includes proposals with a net cash outgo of Rs 41,455.39 crore and gross additional expenditure, matched by savings of the Ministries/Departments of Rs 90,812 crore. As per the Supplementary, approval of Parliament is being sought for spending Rs 18,525 crore on fertiliser and related subsidies, and about Rs 9,500 crore by the Petroleum Ministry to compensate oil marketing companies for under-recoveries.

Bills to replace GST compensation cess may be tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to introduce two Bills to replace the GST compensation cess on tobacco and pan masala with new levies designed to fund national security

Bills to replace GST compensation cess on tobacco, pan masala likely in LS

The government is likely to introduce two bills in the Lok Sabha to replace GST compensation cess with another levy, to ensure that the tax incidence remains the same on tobacco, pan masala and other sin goods after discontinuation of the cess. The Central Excise Amendment Bill, 2025, and The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, are listed for introduction on Monday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. According to sources, the Central Excise Amendment Bill, 2025, will replace GST compensation cess on tobacco by levying excise duty on tobacco. The 'Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025', will replace the compensation cess on pan masala. It seeks to "augment the resources for meeting Security expenditure on national security and for public health, and levy a cess for the said purposes on the machines installed or other processes undertaken by which specified goods are manufactured or produced". Currently, Goods and Services Tax (GST) at 28 per cent

Manufacturing muscle lifts Q2 GDP growth to 6-quarter high of 8.2%

FY26 estimates to be revised upwards after faster-than-expected expansion

Jul-Sep quarter GDP growth shows strength of Indian economy: FM Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the September quarter GDP print of 8.2 per cent shows that reforms and fiscal consolidation drove the Indian economy's robust growth and momentum. "Various high-frequency indicators also point to continued economic momentum and broad-based consumption growth," she said in a social media post. The economy grew by a higher-than-expected 8.2 per cent, a six-quarter high, as increased factory production in anticipation of a consumption boost from the GST rate cut helped offset deceleration in farm output, according to official data. "The GDP estimates released today shows the robust economic growth and momentum of the Indian economy. With a Real GDP growth rate of 8.2 per cent for Q2 - FY 2025-26 (July-Sept), India is the world's fastest growing major economy," Sitharaman wrote on 'X'. In the current financial year, real GDP has registered an 8 per cent growth rate in the first half of fiscal 2025-26. "The growth has been driven by ..

MCA should strive to be futuristic to serve stakeholders: FM Sitharaman

FM asked the Corporate Affairs Ministry to modernise systems, enhance transparency and ensure time-bound services as she reviewed Regional Directorates and the Registrar of Companies