Nirmala Sitharaman

Ringing in a new era in the Union Budget season of records and firsts

As FM Nirmala Sitharaman presents her ninth straight Budget, the finance ministry marks a new era-shifting the historic exercise from North Block to the modern Kartavya Bhawan

Budget 2026:Why raising taxes on the super rich could backfire

As Budget 2026 approaches, there’s a renewed debate over whether India should raise taxes on the super-rich to shore up government finances.

Union Budget 2026-27 to be presented on Sunday, Feb 1: Lok Sabha Speaker

The Budget session will start on January 28 and continue until April 2 in two phases. The first phase ends on February 13, with Parliament reconvening on March 9

RBI, North Block may finetune regulations for Viksit Bharat 2047

A report by Knight Frank India said supply-to-demand ratio for affordable housing across the top 8 cities plummeted to 0.36 in 2025 (until June), down from 1.05 in 2019

FinMin to review PSBs' progress on unclaimed deposits on January 14

"The meeting, to be chaired by the Joint Secretary (banking) in DFS, will assess the status of unclaimed deposits transferred to the DEA Fund and the pace of claims settlement across banks

FY27 Budget presentation likely on Feb 1, Economic Survey on Jan 29

February 1 is also coinciding with Guru Ravidas birth anniversary, which is a government holiday in some states in remembrance of the 15th-century saint and social reformer

DEA creates ₹17 trillion PPP project pipeline for 3 years: FinMin

Of the total projects, 232 are related to central ministries and departments, while the remaining 630 are with states and Union Territories

Big capex challenge: Few sectors left to absorb infra spending push

With roads and railways nearing capacity limits and aviation largely privatised, the government is turning to ports and shipping to sustain its capex push in FY27

BS CEO poll: India Inc expects faster growth, stronger earnings in 2026

Plans to invest and hire more but is concerned about global uncertainty

Centre may set 54.5-55% debt-to-GDP goal for FY27 in Union Budget

While future Budgets will continue to specify annual fiscal deficit numbers, these will now be derived from the debt target rather than serving as the primary target

States' debt burden and fiscal gaps persist, leaving capital spending muted

10 states with the highest debt to GSDP ratio have debt levels above 30% of GSDP

Business@2025: From tax reforms to trade pacts, a year of course correction

The government moved to steady the economy amid global uncertainty. Crises at IndiGo and BluSmart, meanwhile, underlined the need for tighter oversight and stronger governance

Three Bills and a Budget: How the winter session impacts future budgets

Three laws passed in Parliament could boost central revenues, reshape GST cess flows, shift MGNREGA costs to states and create new budget headroom ahead of the 2026-27 Union Budget

From Sofia Qureshi to Maithili Thakur: Women who broke barriers in 2025

In 2025, Indian women left a decisive mark across governance, security, sports and culture, shaping outcomes, changing policies, breaking records and inspiring millions nationwide

FM Sitharaman, MoS chair Finance, Corporate Affairs 'chintan shivir'

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, along with Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra, chaired the 'Chintan Shivir' of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs here on Saturday. According to an official statement, all Secretaries of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Chairmen of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), and the Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India were also present at the brainstorming session. Senior officers from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and associated departments also attended the event. In a session on "AI, Ease of Doing Business and Financing for Viksit Bharat", the discussions focused on strengthening institutional capacity and policymaking through the use of artificial intelligence, technology-enabled systems, and process reforms to improve Ease of Doing Business. "Deliberations .

Will FM Nirmala Sitharaman table the Union Budget on Sunday, February 1?

The Union Budget has been presented on February 1 since 2017, and 2026 will be the first occasion since then that it falls on a Sunday

Explained: Securities Markets Code Bill

India’s securities laws are set for their biggest overhaul in decades. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has introduced the Securities Markets Code Bill, 2025

Securities laws set for reset as FM introduces Bill for unified code

The Code also attempts to decriminalise certain violations which are procedural or technical in nature into civil penalties

Sitharaman tables Securities Markets Code Bill: What it is, key features

According to the government, the existing laws are very old and do not fully match the current markets and technology

Global trade getting weaponised through tariffs, says Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said global trade is increasingly "getting weaponised" through tariffs and other measures, and India will have to negotiate its way carefully. She said that the overall strength of the economy will give the country an added advantage. "Trade is getting weaponised through tariff, through many other measures and India will have to negotiate its way carefully in this, and not just take care of tariff but I think overall our economy strength is what is going to give us that additional advantage," Sitharaman said at Times Network's India Economic Conclave 2025. She said that globally it is now "very clear" that trade is not free and fair. "India can be lectured saying you (India) are very inward-looking, you are a tariff king and so on. But tariff has been weaponized," she said adding India's intention was never to weaponise tariffs. India, she said, only safeguarded its domestic industries against flooding which happens from a ...