Page 6 - Nirmala Sitharaman

Budget 2026: Sitharaman did not address key concerns, says P Chidambaram

Chidambaram, who has served as the finance minister four times, said the Budget failed "the test of economic strategy and economic statesmanship"

India clears foreign funding of manufacturing equipment, boosting Apple

In India, unlike China, Apple was concerned that if it paid for machines for its contract manufacturers, Indian law could consider that ​a so-called "business connection" and impose taxes

Budget support will help MSMEs scale from local to global: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Union Budget, aligned with India's recent trade deals, provides unprecedented support to MSMEs, sunrise sectors and infrastructure, laying the foundation for jobs

'Budget 2026 puts manufacturing, technology at centre of growth push'

Budget's priority seems to be to reinforce India's long term growth narrative while maintain a tight balancing act as far as fiscal discipline is concerned.

Union Budget 2026: From semiconductors to rare-earth hubs, key takeaways

Budget 2026: The Budget lays out new schemes and higher spending on infrastructure, technology, healthcare and jobs, while offering support for industry and students

Union Budget 2026: Where does the rupee come from and where does it go?

The central government raises its money from a mix of taxes, borrowings, and other receipts, while it is spent on states, interest payments and pensions

Sitharaman announces various customs duty exemptions in 2026 Budget

The exemptions are aimed at simplifying tax rates, supporting domestic manufacturing, boosting exports, and removing old duty exemptions that are no longer needed

How Trump tariffs shaped FM Sitharaman's manufacturing push in Budget 2026

With US tariffs hitting Indian exports, Budget 2026-27 doubles down on manufacturing, capex and targeted relief for tariff-hit sectors

India to benefit from 'ripple effects' of measures in 2026 Budget: FM

Sitharaman said that the focus will be on tier-2 and tier-3 cities so that growth is not limited to big metros

Budget 2026: Onus of executing incremental capex shifting towards states

Aditi Nayar analyses the Budget's fiscal prudence, higher public capex via states, a 4.3 per cent deficit target, debt consolidation, and the impact of higher gross borrowings on bond yields

Stock Market Highlights: Sensex tanks 1,547 pts, Nifty ends at 24,825 as STT hike dampens mood

Budget 2026 | Stock Market LIVE Updates on February 1, 2026: FM Sitharaman on Sunday has raised STT on future trades to 0.05 per cent from 0.02 per cent under Budget 2026.

Union Budget 2026: Zero customs duty for nuclear power imports till 2035

The Union Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman removes a key cost barrier for nuclear projects as India prepares for a major capacity expansion and opens the sector to private participation

STT hike, bond market boost: 10 positives and 5 negatives of Budget 2026

Capital expenditure has been raised to ₹12.2 lakh crore (~9 per cent YoY), reinforcing the infrastructure- and manufacturing-led growth strategy without resorting to populist fiscal slippage

CIC, Public Enterprises Selection Board get ₹39.14 allocation in Budget

The Central Information Commission (CIC) and the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) have been allocated Rs 39.14 crore in the Union Budget 2026-27, a nominal increase of around Rs 3 crore from the revised estimate of Rs 36.94 crore for 2025-26. However, the Budget Estimate for the CIC and PESB in 2025-26 was higher at Rs 42.49 crore. According to the Budget documents presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the provision is meant for establishment-related expenditure of the Central Information Commission and the Public Enterprises Selection Board. In Budget parlance, the allocations made at the time of presentation of the annual Budget are known as Budget Estimates (BE), while the updated figures, reflecting changes in revenue and expenditure during the course of the financial year, are referred to as Revised Estimates (RE). The government has also earmarked Rs 3.5 crore for the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for the propagation of the Right to Informat

Buyback proceeds for all shareholders to be taxed as capital gains: FM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said buyback proceeds for all types of shareholders will be taxed as capital gains. Presenting the Union Budget for 2026-27, Sitharaman also proposed to raise Securities Transaction Tax to 0.05 per cent on commodity futures from 0.02 per cent. She further said MAT (Minimum Alternate Tax ) will be made final tax and the rate will be reduced to 14 per cent from current 15 per cent. She also said the government has proposed a joint panel of Corporate Affairs Ministry and CBDT for incorporation of income computation and disclosure standards. National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid will be established to digitally document all places of significance, she added.

Budget 2026: Centre allocates ₹1.4 trillion to states, keeps 41% share

The 15th Finance Commission recommended a share of states in the central taxes to be 41 per cent, and the 16th Finance Commission has retained the vertical share of devolution

PSU banks reel after Budget 2026; shares fall up to 7%: Here's why

All the PSU Bank index constituents were trading lower, with Bank of India, Bank Maharashtra, Indian Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Union Bank of India falling in the range of 3 to 7 per cent

Sitharaman proposes Infra Risk Guarantee Fund to boost private investment

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitahraman on Sunday proposed to set up an Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund to provide calibrated partial credit guarantees to lenders. Sitharaman in her Budget speech said during this past decade, the government has undertaken several initiatives for large-scale enhancement of public infrastructure, including through new financing instruments such as Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InVITs) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and institutions like NIIF and NABFID. "To strengthen the confidence of private developers regarding risks during infrastructure development and construction phase, I propose to set up an Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund to provide prudently calibrated partial credit guarantees to lenders," she said. Noting that cities are India's engines of growth, innovation, and opportunities, she said the government will now focus on Tier-II and Tier-III cities, and even temple-towns, which need modern infrastructure and basic ...

Budget 2026 delivers well on prudence and focuses on future thrust areas

Union Budget 2026 stays focused on fiscal prudence, targets a 4.3% deficit, sustains ₹12.2 trillion capex, and backs rare earths, freight corridors, waterways and data centres, writes Madan Sabnavis

Budget 2026-27: Govt sets up panel to study AI impact on services sector

Union Budget 2026: The Centre plans a high-powered panel to assess how AI is changing services, employment and skills, while aiming to raise India's global share in services to 10% by 2047