With the Union Budget 2026, India's 74th, fast approaching, all eyes are once again on New Delhi's North Block as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is preparing to table it on February 1, 2026, marking her ninth Budget presentation in a row.
Iran has launched a fresh wave of missile attacks against Israeli and United States-linked targets as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired some of its heaviest missiles in the latest phase of its retaliatory campaign, while Israel Defence Forces alleged that many of the projectiles carried cluster bomb warheads.
On Agri Stack, Expenditure Secy V Vualnam says it's progressing well; using IT, farmers will be able to choose exact fertiliser quantities needed, reducing crowding at fertiliser outlets.
The easing of external commercial borrowing (ECB) norms by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expected to significantly boost overseas fundraising by Indian companies, market participants said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday participated in a traditional 'halwa' ceremony, marking the final stage for the preparation of the Union Budget 2026-27, to be unveiled on February 1 in the Lok Sabha.
'If movement remains stalled for three to four months, more than 300,000 recruitments from India could be affected.'
Formula One has cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix scheduled for April due to escalating Middle East tensions, reducing the 2026 F1 calendar from 24 to 22 races.
Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau arrests 11 individuals, including bank employees and a government official, in connection with a fraud case involving IDFC First Bank and the illegal diversion of government funds.
A local court in Mumbai has accepted the police's closure report in the alleged Rs 25,000 crore scam at the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB), giving a clean chit to the late deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and other accused.
Indian civilisation has long imagined wealth and power as feminine forces. And yet, when these qualities appear in real women, admiration sometimes gives way to discomfort, observes Vatsal Ramaiya.
Nearly two-thirds of external commercial borrowings (ECBs) raised so far in the ongoing financial year (2025-26/FY26) have been routed through Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), a sharp jump from the 36 per cent recorded in 2024-25.
Kushal Das played a pivotal role in organising the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in India.
Last fortnight, State Bank of India Chairman C S Setty lifted the veil on a subject long spoken of in corporate corridors: Why can't our banks finance mergers and acquisitions (M&As)? Change is in the air: Indian Banks' Association (of which Setty is the chairman) is to "make a formal request" to Mint Road to make way for it. Thus far the exclusive turf of foreign banks even though its funding remains offshore - as in, it's not on these entities rupee-book (and a few select shadow banks) - a most lucrative segment in the investment banking suite, M&As, will be homeward-bound.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget, focusing on investments and growth. The speech was marked by its business-like approach and lack of cultural references, while opposition members raised concerns about regional representation.
'The city was not only a setting but also a major character in Sankar's stories, providing the readers insight into the ever-changing and complex nature of Calcutta,' observes Atanu Biswas.
After years of rapid expansion, the Centre's capital spending growth eases as private investment shows early signs of revival, points out A K Bhattacharya.
With the price of gold entering a strong bull run, gold-loan non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are under the spotlight, even though their performance is not directly linked to gold price. Muthoot Finance outperformed in the April-June quarter (Q1) of 2025-26 (FY26), with its assets under management (AUM) growing 10 per cent quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q) and 42 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), an improvement of 88 basis points (bps) Q-o-Q in net interest margin (NIM), and a fall in credit cost. Gold AUM rose 40 per cent Y-o-Y and 10 per cent Q-o-Q. The company recorded recoveries of 350 crore, including 100 crore from an asset reconstruction company (ARC), resulting in a 100-bp Q-o-Q yield increase.
Chandigarh Police have launched an investigation into a fraud involving fake fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) worth 116.84 crore, allegedly issued by a private bank manager, impacting the Chandigarh municipal corporation's funds.
'It's a changing world and the opening up doesn't mean that concerns with regards to security have gone away.'
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed to exempt Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) for non-residents who pay tax on presumptive basis.
'India cannot speak of a demographic dividend if half its young women are unable to participate in paid work.'
The Punjab government has allocated Rs 11,577 crore to home affairs, justice, and jails in the 2026-27 budget, focusing on strengthening institutional capacity, technology-driven surveillance, and prison security.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
rediffGURUS Mihir Tanna, Vipul Bhavsar, T S Khurana, Vivek Lala and Anil Rego will answer your tax queries related to the Union Budget 2026-2o27.
Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled in early trade on Wednesday, tracking a bearish trend in Asian markets, as the conflict in West Asia widened, driving oil prices higher.
The verdict marks a notable shift from a series of recent wins for Trump at the Supreme Court.
From a modest salary to Rs 1 crore, here's Ramalingam Kalirajan's smart compounding blueprint for young earners
Indian equity investors experienced a significant loss of 16.32 lakh crore due to a two-day stock market decline fueled by escalating geopolitical tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
Four money lenders have been arrested in Hyderabad for allegedly abetting the suicide of a family of three due to harassment over loan repayment.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a fiscal deficit target of 4.3% of GDP for FY27, continuing the path of fiscal consolidation. The government aims to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to 55.6% by BE 2026-27 and further to around 50% by March 2031.
'Credit growth in India remains in double digits, even though corporate borrowing is subdued.' 'Corporate credit is weak because companies are cash-rich and cautious amid global uncertainty.'
The Reserve Bank of India on Friday proposed to allow banks to lend to Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) with certain prudential safeguards to deepen the financing pool for the real estate sector.
The Congress party has strongly criticized the Union Budget, calling it 'lacklustre' and 'disappointing,' claiming it fails to address the needs of farmers, unemployed youth, and other key sectors.
Capex, infrastructure development, and prudent fiscal management are the key focus areas in the Budget, says Nilesh Shah.
For decades, several key government offices and ministries functioned from fragmented and ageing infrastructure spread across multiple locations in the Central Vista area.
'Money is not just about greed or accumulation. It gives you freedom, dignity and choice. And you have every right to all three.'
A Lenovo study reveals that Indian enterprises are planning to increase their investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) at a higher rate than other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Telangana government's salary structure reveals surprising figures, with senior sweepers earning up to 2 lakh and chief engineers drawing 7 lakh monthly.
A joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran has triggered a massive military confrontation in the Middle-East.
The government also proposes to set up risk guarantee fund for infrastructure sector, she added.
