Page 17 - Nirmala Sitharaman

Flipkart executives meet ministers to discuss MSME push, India listing

CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy and Rajneesh Kumar, chief corporate affairs officer, shared updates on digital commerce expansion, financial inclusion, and plans to redomicile ahead of a potential IPO

Nabard promotes 6,215 farmer producer organisations, says FM Sitharaman

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has promoted the formation of 6,215 FPOs till date under various schemes, Parliament was informed on Monday. The major support provided to Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) includes formation of FPOs, capacity building, credit facilitation and market linkage support, financial literacy, etc, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha. In addition, she said, Nabard, in partnership with Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), has conducted FPO Melas (TARANG-celebrating Collectivisation) at 50 locations across 24 states/UTs to demonstrate the products of FPOs/OFPOs to enable the marketing & branding of FPO products. She further said Nabard extends loan assistance to state governments for the creation of rural infrastructure through various funds, that is, Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), Nabard Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA), Rural

Govt capex hits ₹2.75 trn in Q1FY26, but lags pre-election year levels

The net tax revenue of ₹5.4 trillion stood at 19 per cent of the BE in Q1FY26 compared to 21.3 per cent in Q1FY25, registering a contraction of 2 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y)

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

Raising FDI in insurance aims to unlock sector's full potential: FM

Raising the FDI limit in insurance to 100 per cent will help the sector achieve its full potential by growing at 7.1 per cent per annum over the next 5 years, outpacing the global growth, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed Parliament on Monday. The finance minister in Union Budget 2025-26 had proposed to raise the limit of foreign investment in insurance sector from the existing 74 per cent to 100 per cent. Raising the limit will eliminate the need for foreign investors to find Indian partners for the remaining 26 per cent, easing the process of setting up their operations in India, effectively increasing the number of insurers in the country, she said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. This will attract stable and sustained foreign investment, increase competition, facilitate technology transfer, and improve insurance penetration in the country, she said. The decision to increase FDI component in a particular insurance company is made by its promoters, depending upon vario

Over 31,500 govt employees opt for UPS till July 20, says FM Sitharaman

As many as 31,555 central government employees have opted for the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) till July 20, and the last date to enrol under the scheme is September, Parliament was informed on Monday. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said as on July 20, 2025, at least 7,253 claims have been received and out of which 4,978 claims have been processed for payment of benefits under UPS. From April 1, 2025, the government has introduced UPS as an option under the National Pension System (NPS) for the central government employees. UPS will provide assured payouts to the employees. In reply to a separate question in the House, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said, "as on July 20, 2025, 31,555 employees have opted UPS". Further, Sitharaman said based on the representations from employees and associations, the cut-off date to opt for UPS was extended for a period of three months up to September 30, 2025. "As per eligibility criteria,

Growth must mean jobs, value addition and economic stability: Sitharaman

At the launch of A World in Flux, FM Nirmala Sitharaman said India's top priority is quality growth focused on jobs, value addition and sustainability

A World in Flux: India’s Economic Priorities

At the launch of 'A World in Flux', Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said multilateral institutions are now in limbo and stressed the urgent need to reshape them for today's rapidly evolving world

A World in Flux: Sitharaman flags need to reshape institutions for present

At the launch of 'A World in Flux', Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said multilateral institutions are now in limbo and stressed the urgent need to reshape them for today's rapidly evolving world

No retrospective change in I-T Bill, only simplification: Baijayant Panda

The old law had become so complicated that even experts couldn't give the clear answer, says Panda

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

FM Sitharaman flays tax officials, says OGE issuance delays 'unpardonable'

On Income Tax Day, FM Nirmala Sitharaman urges decisive action on pending tax cases, refunds, and grievance redress, calling for accountability and timely implementation

Parl panel report on new Income Tax Bill, 2025 to be tabled in LS on Monday

A report of the parliamentary committee set up to scrutinise the new Income Tax Bill, 2025, which would replace the six-decade old Income Tax Act, is scheduled to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The 31-member Select Committee, chaired by BJP leader Baijayant Panda, was appointed by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to scrutinise The new Income Tax Bill, 2025, which was introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 13 in the Lok Sabha. The Committee has made 285 suggestions and at its meeting on July 16 adopted the report on new I-T Bill, 2025, which will now be tabled in the House for further action. The simplified Income Tax Bill, which is half the size of the 1961 Income Tax Act, seeks to achieve tax certainty by minimising the scope of litigation and fresh interpretation. The new bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha, has a word count of 2.6 lakh, lower than 5.12 lakh in the I-T Act. The number of sections is 536, as against 819 effective sections in the existing ...

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

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

Andhra CM meets Sitharaman; seeks Rs 10,000 cr support for various projects

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and sought additional financial support of Rs 10,000 crore for various projects. On his second day of the visit, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief -- a key NDA ally -- highlighted that the state is still facing a deficit of financial resources due to bifurcation, an official release said. Naidu requested the central government to grant an additional allocation of Rs 10,000 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme for 2025-26. He sought the release of the second tranche of funds as a grant to Amaravati capital, and appealed to the Union Minister to make up for the revenue deficit faced by the state under the 16th Finance Commission. He submitted a memorandum requesting financial support for various state projects. The chief minister informed Sitharaman that the construction of Amaravati requires a total of Rs 79,280 crore, with work

GCC revolution needs infra, policy stability, and skilled human capital

The deeper question, however, is whether India's human capital is prepared for a shift up the value chain

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

FM Sitharaman lauds Meghalaya's inclusive growth, women's empowerment

Reflecting on her visit to the aspirational district of Ri-Bhoi and her engagements in Shillong, she highlighted how Meghalaya's development journey reflects the spirit of PM's vision of Viksit Bharat

Pilot stage of internship scheme ending soon: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Sitharaman said that India was a country going through a decade or more of demographic dividend