Page 11 - Union Budget

Datanomics: Lower tax buoyancy, not GDP, weighs on Centre's finances

Slower nominal GDP growth in FY26 may not hurt deficit math, but weak tax buoyancy and a slipping tax-to-GDP ratio signal rising stress on revenue collections

FY26 a Goldilocks year for Indian economy; can it be repeated in FY27?

Stronger-than-expected FY26 growth gives India a rare Goldilocks moment, but sustaining the momentum in FY27 will hinge on policy coordination amid global uncertainty

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

Centre pushes to merge, rationalise schemes to improve efficiency

54 centrally sponsored and 260 central-sector schemes may be reappraised for next financial year

Budget 2026-27 likely to signal new cooperative sector's ambition

A blueprint is likely on the anvil to spell out how the sector will reach 500 million people and treble its economic contribution

What is the Union Budget — and why should you care?

What is the Union Budget and why does it matter to you? In this short explainer, we break down how the Budget works and how it impacts taxes, spending, growth, and everyday life minus the jargon.

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

CII lays out fiscal strategy to bolster macro stability ahead of budget

Ahead of the FY27 Union Budget, CII has outlined a four-point fiscal strategy focused on debt discipline, transparency, revenue mobilisation and spending efficiency

Union Budget 2026: Tracking what Budget 2025 promised and delivered

With the Union Budget 2026 around the corner, here is a status check on Budget 2025 promises, from tax reforms and insurance FDI to manufacturing, gig workers and innovation funding

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

Uttar Pradesh leads SASCI scheme with 482 projects as of late November

Over a third of the FY26 SASCI fund has been released for 4,106 state projects, with Uttar Pradesh leading approvals and Nagaland remaining the only non-participant

FM Nirmala Sitharaman holds pre-Budget meet with energy, infra leaders

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday chaired her tenth pre-budget consultation, engaging key leaders from the energy and infrastructure sectors ahead of Union Budget 2026-27

FM Sitharaman meets infrastructure, energy experts on Budget for FY27

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday met experts from infrastructure and energy to elicit their views on the forthcoming Budget for FY27. Those present at the meeting include Afcons Managing Director S Paramasivan, Shapoorji Pallonji Infrastructure Capital Director Manish Tripathi, GMR Group Deputy Managing Director K Narayanarao, JM BAXI Group Director Sandeep Wadhwa and Infravision Foundation CEO Jagan Shah, among others. "Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. @nsitharaman chairs the 11th Pre-Budget Consultation with the experts from the #Infrastructure and #Energy Sectors in connection with the forthcoming Union Budget 2026-27, in New Delhi, today. "The meeting was also attended by Secretaries of @MinOfPower; @shipmin_India; @MORTHIndia; Chairman of Railway Board; and the Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India," the Ministry of Finance said in a social media post on X. Sitharaman is likely to present the Budget on February 1. She will present

Budget: Nathealth asks for ₹50k cr infra fund, tax SOPs for health checkups

Innovation fund for deep tech collabs, setting up of labs and 100% deduction on capex under section 35 AD of IT Act among key demands

FM Sitharaman's 8th Budget can't afford to abandon fiscal consolidation

The dilemma over the date of presentation aside, there is yet another reason why Ms Sitharaman's forthcoming Budget will be treated as a major event of historical significance

Simpler tax rules, quicker dispute resolution among key Budget demands

CII, Ficci, Assocham and PHDCCI have made common recommendations for Budget 2026-27, seeking predictable tax rules, rationalised TDS slabs, and faster resolution of pending appeals

Pre-Budget meeting: Ficci seeks faster resolution of tax disputes

Industry body calls for clearing ₹18 trillion in pending tax appeals, TDS rationalisation and tax neutrality for fast-track demergers ahead of Union Budget 2026

Multiple challenges to Indian Railways' financial sustainability, growth

Despite record capex and growth, the national transporter faces financial sustainability challenges with a precarious operating ratio and slowing incremental freight traffic

Govt must implement its 2021 divestment goals with rigour and deadlines

The practice of fixing annual divestment targets in the budgets was designed to tap an additional revenue source to contain the revenue deficit

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