Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced an increase in the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on Futures and Options trade with a view to discouraging small investors from speculative trading in derivatives, which led to a sharp decline in the stock market.
India is a global leader in software development services, IT enabled services, knowledge process outsourcing services and contract R&D services relating to software development, Sitharaman said noting these business segments are quite inter-connected with each other.
The deferral of Natarajan Chandrasekaran's re-appointment as Chairman of Tata Sons has sparked questions regarding a previous unanimous resolution by Tata Trusts and potential internal disagreements.
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 2026-2027 Union Budget, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Opposition-ruled states warn of steep annual losses; Centre assures higher consumption will offset revenue hit.
'Many policyholders do not understand that non-medical expenses, cosmetic treatments, and certain other procedures are not covered by health insurance policies.'
'Global uncertainty is something which definitely occupies the minds of officials when we are preparing for the Budget.'
Capex, infrastructure development, and prudent fiscal management are the key focus areas in the Budget, says Nilesh Shah.
The protesters shouted slogans such as KP Chor, Desh Chhod (K P Sharma Oli is a thief, quit the country), "Take action against corrupt leaders".
The best course for the government at this time would be to tighten the seat belt a little more, without compromising on its investments in creating better infrastructure and giving a push to privatisation, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Both sides have now revealed a preference for escalation over strategic defeat, and each new provocation narrows the space for the next pause. The Touska seizure, Iran's refusal to negotiate under blockade, Israel's strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure -- all of these add up to an increasingly untenable situation. This makes the wild card -- Trump and his motormouth -- more consequential than ever, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
The Hazaribag Superintendent of Police (SP) Office treasury scam has seen further developments with more arrests and a significant increase in the embezzlement amount to 28 crore. The investigation continues, with authorities pursuing leads in Bihar and freezing suspicious accounts.
The first leg of the Budget session concluded with debates over the India-US trade deal and a former army chief's memoir, and will reassemble on March 9.
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis announced his resignation on Monday, a day after Greeks delivered a resounding 'No' to the conditions of a rescue package.
Meet Radhika Gupta, CEO and MD of Edelweiss Mutual Fund. One of the 20 global influencers on LinkedIn -- a list she shares with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And perhaps one of the most candid and transparent voices in Indian finance today.
The Congress party has accused the Modi government of abusing its power and distorting the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry. The party alleges that the MCC has become 'Modi's Code of Campaigning' filled with defamation and lies.
Political observers said the announcement assumes significance as the state prepares for the assembly elections, with political parties stepping up outreach to various community groups.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified the UDF's campaign for the Kerala polls, accusing the CPI(M) of stealing gold from the Sabarimala temple and questioning PM Modi's silence on the issue. He also addressed concerns about rubber prices and the FCRA amendments.
Four Assam Congress workers have been arrested for allegedly possessing and transporting pamphlets containing allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, sparking controversy and accusations of undemocratic action.
Budget speeches have been replete with incomprehensible and even hilarious statements, says Rathin Roy.
The Union Budget allocates Rs 1,492 crore for the functioning of both Houses of Parliament, with specific provisions for Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and related secretariats.
Sitharaman in her budget speech said that the customs proposal "aim to further simplify the tariff structure, support domestic manufacturing, promote export competitiveness, and correct inversion in duty".
'Each state is unique, but when it comes to finance, the fundamentals cannot be different.'
Vijay Varma delivers a tour de force performance in Nagraj Popatrao Manjule's Matka King, a compelling eight-part series that chronicles the rise and fall of a gambling trailblazer in 1960s-1970s Bombay, notes Sukanya Verma.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting India as a global hub for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence, highlighting the government's incentives for data center investments and inviting the world's data to reside in India.
The government on Friday received financial bids for the strategic disinvestment of IDBI Bank, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (Dipam) said in an official statement on X.
After a 25 basis point rate cut in December, the RBI on Friday decided to pause on the policy rate front amid geopolitical uncertainties.
For decades, several key government offices and ministries functioned from fragmented and ageing infrastructure spread across multiple locations in the Central Vista area.
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) remained in a selling mode in January, withdrawing nearly Rs 36,000 crore (about $3.97 billion) as global uncertainties persisted. Meanwhile, a higher securities transaction tax (STT) proposed in the Union Budget may weigh on overseas investor participation in the near future.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said that raising the FDI limit to 100 per cent in the insurance sector will help attract more capital, improve competition and increase insurance penetration by making policies more affordable.
With inflation comfortably below the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) 4 per cent median target and likely to undershoot its 3.7 per cent projection for 2025-26 (FY26), there is room for the monetary policy easing cycle to be sustained, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. The comments, featured in the ministry's Monthly Economic Review for June 2025, assume significance ahead of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) scheduled to begin from August 5.
The Budget emerges as a measured, credible and forward-looking policy document that reinforces India's commitment to remaining a stable, reform-oriented economy amid an increasingly fragmented global landscape, says A Balasubramanian.
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.
In a move aimed at curbing the mis-selling of financial products, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed banning incentives paid to bank staffers by third parties such as insurance companies and mutual fund houses for selling their products and services. It has also proposed that banks must ensure their user interfaces do not deploy "dark patterns" to lure customers.
'Removing Nitish Kumar prematurely risks unsettling both the alliance balance and parts of the social coalition that delivered this victory.'
Find out what a salaried person wants from the finance minister.
The idea of back-loading the target of fiscal consolidation is perhaps guided by the government's desire to be prepared for any adverse developments in the coming year, points out A K Bhattacharya.
The 2026-27 Budget, seeking to harmonise the government's imperative to grant certainty while ensuring a rational tax policy, had several notable announcements to usher in halcyon days, says Mukesh Butani.
Any reduction on purifiers would need consensus among state finance ministers.
