Page 19 - Nirmala Sitharaman

Fifth edition of Time Release Study shows faster import clearance at ports

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman releases CBIC's NTRS report showing average cargo release times improved at ports and airports, though delays rose at inland depots

GST evasion detection hits all-time high of ₹2.23 trillion in FY25

FM Nirmala Sitharaman urges faster probe closures and easier registrations

Make GST registration easier using tech, risk-based parameters: FM to CBIC

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday asked CBIC to make the GST registration easier, seamless, and more transparent for taxpayers, using technology and risk-based parameters. Sitharaman, who chaired the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Conclave with the Principal Chief Commissioners, Chief Commissioners and Director Generals of the field formations, reviewed the performance of Customs and CGST zones on key indicators. During the conclave, she directed the zones to prepare an action plan to improve various parameters, such as GST registration, processing of refunds, and handling taxpayers' grievances. The finance minister also directed the CGST formations to launch targeted awareness campaigns among taxpayers, trade associations, and industry bodies regarding the mandatory documentation required for GST registration, particularly those related to the principal place of business, the finance ministry said in a statement. This would help reduce rejections an

Nirmala Sitharaman ask fintechs to find solutions to prevent cyberfrauds

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday asked fintech startups to come out with solutions to deal with the rising incidence of digital arrests, cheating by fly-by-night operators, and other kinds of cyberfrauds. Lauding the success of fintechs, the Finance Minister said they have helped in speeding up financial inclusion, and taking the payment system to even the far-flung areas of the country. Speaking at the Digital Payments Awards 2025 Ceremony here, Sitharaman said it is important to ensure that startup companies come up with solutions so that people are not arrested at home digitally, or fly by night operators don't take away their money. Another major threat, she pointed out, is 'deep fake', which is causing a lot of damage to the public in large. "Today, we should take care of addressing them so we need a set of fintech companies which are constantly working to give solutions for the newer challenges which are arising," Sitharaman said. She also called upon the fin

Sitharaman says India's finance future is 'phygital', driven by UPI

At the Digital Payments Awards, Sitharaman lauds UPI's global success, urges fintech to tackle cybersecurity and deepfakes, and credits RBI's enabling regulation

Govt plans to amend refund provision in new Income Tax Bill, 2025

Section 433 of the new IT Bill, 2025, states that a refund must be claimed by filing a return - regardless of whether it is belated

FM to meet GST and income tax officers to resolve field-level issues

The meetings aim to review ground-level implementation of tax policies, resolve bottlenecks in taxpayer services, and improve ease of doing business

11 years of Seva, Sushasan, and Garib Kalyan: From stress to strength

From twin-deficit stress to five balance sheet strength, India's economic turnaround reflects 11 years of focused policy reforms under Prime Minister Modi's leadership

Ex-AAP MLA's wife files defamation suit against FM Sitharaman in Delhi

A Delhi court on Thursday fixed on June 26 the criminal defamation complaint filed by Lipika Mitra, wife of former AAP MLA Somnath Bharti, against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for allegedly making statements over their marital discord. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal deferred the hearing on the request of Sitharaman's counsel. The judge also directed Mitra's counsel to provide a copy of the complaint to the opposite party. "Time sought by the proposed accused side to file vakalatnama (document regarding hiring of the lawyer). "Although the summons have been received back duly served. The proposed accused side has sought a copy of complaint. The complainant side agrees to supply the soft copy of the same along with the link of the purported defamatory material/interview. Matter be fixed for consideration/arguments on June 26, 2025," the judge said. Sitharaman has been accused of making "defamatory, false, and malicious statements" at a press conference

Reduce unclaimed assets: FM Sitharaman to financial sector regulators

At the 29th FSDC meeting, FM Nirmala Sitharaman pushed for swift return of unclaimed financial assets and called for simplified, unified KYC norms across all sectors

FM asks regulators to expedite refund on unclaimed deposits, streamline KYC

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked regulators and departments to expedite the refund of unclaimed deposits to rightful owners and streamline the KYC process. Chairing the 29th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) here, she emphasised that interest of common citizens to be kept in mind and expeditiously refund the claims of the rightful claimants. She exhorted the Council to take proactive steps to ensure that citizens should have a seamless experience with respect to KYC processes across the financial sector, the finance ministry said in a statement. There is a need for common KYC norms, simplification and digitalisation of the KYC process including digital onboarding for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) including PIOs and OCIs, in the Indian securities market. The minister urged the regulators and departments to expedite the process of refund to rightful owners of unclaimed amounts by holding special district-level camps. This drive is to

SPMCIL delivers 3.4 metric tonnes of refined gold to RBI in FY25: FM

Sitharaman added that SPMCIL also refines silver and gold received from institutions such as the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board

FM Sitharaman hails SPMCIL, hopes it to get status of Navratna soon

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday lauded the performance of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) and expressed confidence that it will soon become a Navratna state-owned company. Currently, SPMCIL, under the administrative control of the Department of Economic Affairs of the Finance Ministry, is a Schedule 'A' Miniratna Category-I company of the Government of India. The government grants Maharatna, Navratna and Miniratna status to Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) based on certain pre-defined criteria, including financial parameters such as track record of profit and net worth. Inaugurating the Corporate Office of SPMCIL, Sitharaman appreciated the works being done by the CPSE, which include printing of currency notes, minting of coins for circulation and commemorative coins. She hoped SPMCIL would also achieve Navratna status, given its consistent financial performance. Following its capital restructuring in 2015, the company

SBI pays Rs 8,076.84 cr dividend to govt, cheque presented to FM Sitharaman

The country's biggest lender State Bank of India (SBI) on Monday paid a dividend of Rs 8,076.84 crore to the government for the financial year 2024-25. The dividend cheque was presented to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman by SBI Chairman C S Setty in the presence of Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju and Finance Secretary Ajay Seth. "Smt @nsitharaman receives a dividend cheque of Rs 8076.84 crore for FY 2024-25 from Shri C S Setty, Chairman-@TheOfficialSBI," the finance minister's office said in a post on X. SBI declared a dividend of Rs 15.90 per share for the financial year 2024-25, higher than Rs 13.70 per equity share distributed for the previous year. SBI had paid a dividend of Rs 6,959.29 crore to the government last year. During 2024-25, the bank earned a record net profit of Rs 70,901 crore, as against Rs 61,077 crore in the preceding year, registering a 16 per cent increase.

Finance ministry meets Moody's execs, makes case for ratings upgrade

Moody's said that Pakistan-India tensions, including the flare-up earlier in May, would weigh on Pakistan's growth more than on India's

FM flags drug menace as major national threat, seeks stronger DRI action

Nirmala Sitharaman says drug trafficking is the biggest threat to the nation, urging DRI to target criminal masterminds and coordinate with state police more effectively

Narcotics biggest threat as it makes way into states, towns: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has warned that narcotics are reaching every corner of India, calling for sharper intelligence, inter-agency coordination, and swift enforcement

GST Council's likely agenda: Intermediaries may get exporter status

"With the Law Committee's approval expected shortly, the GST Council's final decision in its next meeting could mark a turning point for India's intermediary-driven export sectors," said the official

Grameen Credit Score framework likely to be launched in next 3 months

The GCS is expected to serve as a supplementary tool to existing credit bureaus, allowing banks, microfinance institutions, and other lenders to better evaluate the creditworthiness of rural borrowers

Profits earned through ethical means create wealth for nation: FM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the government led by Narendra Modi refers entrepreneurs as wealth creators as the profit earned by them through ethical ways help drive development goals. "Wealth creation in India has never been a taboo in India. We promoted wealth creation. We would want wealth creation. That is why entrepreneurs in India, under Prime Minister Modi, we refer them as wealth creators. They are not thieves," she said while addressing the National Commemorative Seminar on 60 years of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Integral Humanism Lectures. Pandit Upadhyaya was one of the founding members of Jan Sangh from which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged in April 1980. "We would like to have profit created by genuine ethical practices, and that is what is going to create wealth for the nation. And once you have wealth, you give dignity of labor, you provide for education, you provide for skilling, and you lift the tempo and the spirit of the nation," sh