News for 'Nirmala Sitharaman'

Sitharaman Orders Banks to Return Unclaimed Citizens' Money

Sitharaman Orders Banks to Return Unclaimed Citizens' Money

Rediff.com23 Sep 2025

Given that a sizeable part of this money is part of the coveted current accounts and savings accounts, it is surprising that banks are not in a hurry to revive these accounts, notes Tamal Bandyopdhyay.

How did Sensex fare on Budget days since 2014

How did Sensex fare on Budget days since 2014

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

In the 15 Union Budget presentation days of the Narendra Modi government since it came to power in 2014, the BSE benchmark Sensex has ended in negative territory eight times.

Budget 2026: 7 new high-speed rail corridors announced

Budget 2026: 7 new high-speed rail corridors announced

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Two dedicated freight corridors -- Eastern and Western -- are in operation covering several states and districts.

Operation Sindoor Inspires Rise In Defence Budget

Operation Sindoor Inspires Rise In Defence Budget

Rediff.com4 Feb 2026

'If you go by the capital expenditure, this is a good defence budget. But we will have to see if the government can keep defence spending at 2 per cent or higher in 2027-2028.'

Railways gets record Rs 2.78 lakh cr capex; focus on new lines, safety

Railways gets record Rs 2.78 lakh cr capex; focus on new lines, safety

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

The Budget allocation includes the construction of new lines and the purchase of locomotives, wagons, and coaches, among other works.

Sitharaman cuts short US-Peru visit after J-K terror attack

Sitharaman cuts short US-Peru visit after J-K terror attack

Rediff.com23 Apr 2025

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is cutting short her official visit to the US and Peru and will depart for India at the earliest, following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Sitharaman arrived in the US on Sunday for a six-day visit, after which she was scheduled to travel to Peru for a five-day trip. The decision comes after 26 people were killed in a terror attack near Kashmir's Pahalgam town on Tuesday.

How investors will benefit if banks start lending to Reits

How investors will benefit if banks start lending to Reits

Rediff.com6 Feb 2026

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.

Stormy first part of Budget Session ends

Stormy first part of Budget Session ends

Rediff.com13 Feb 2026

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.

Economic Survey 2026: Rupee valuation does not accurately reflect India's stellar economic fundamentals

Economic Survey 2026: Rupee valuation does not accurately reflect India's stellar economic fundamentals

Rediff.com29 Jan 2026

The value of the rupee, which has slipped to the 92 per dollar mark, does not accurately reflect India's stellar economic fundamentals, the Economic Survey said on Thursday.

Economic Survey 2026: India must run marathon and sprint simultaneously

Economic Survey 2026: India must run marathon and sprint simultaneously

Rediff.com29 Jan 2026

According to the Economic Survey 2026, the appropriate stance for 2026 is therefore one of strategic sobriety rather than defensive pessimism.

Sitharaman asks fintechs to strengthen risk management to check AI misuse

Sitharaman asks fintechs to strengthen risk management to check AI misuse

Rediff.com8 Oct 2025

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked fintech firms to focus on risk management at a time when criminals are using AI to mimic voices, clone identities and create lifelike videos to manipulate people.

GST Made Easy From Nov 1

GST Made Easy From Nov 1

Rediff.com25 Oct 2025

Nearly 96 per cent of new applicants will benefit from this simplified approval route.

Sitharaman on the reforms that Budget will initiate

Sitharaman on the reforms that Budget will initiate

Rediff.com1 Feb 2025

The government aims to initiate "transformative reforms" across six domains, including taxation and financial sector, in Union Budget 2025-26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday.

What's Nirmalaji Doing At Rezang La?

What's Nirmalaji Doing At Rezang La?

Rediff.com18 Jun 2025

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman paid homage at the Rezang La War Memorial at Chushul in Ladakh on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

STT hike on Futures drags markets down; Sensex crashes 1,547 points

STT hike on Futures drags markets down; Sensex crashes 1,547 points

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty dived sharply by nearly 2 per cent on Sunday after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a hike in the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on derivatives. Reversing the early gains, the 30-share BSE Sensex plunged sharply by 2,370.36 points or 2.88 per cent to slide below the 80,000-mark at 79,899.42 in afternoon trade as the finance minister announced a hike in STT on futures contracts to 0.05 per cent from the current 0.02 per cent.

Sensex jumps 944 points on value-buying in oil, auto, banking stocks

Sensex jumps 944 points on value-buying in oil, auto, banking stocks

Rediff.com2 Feb 2026

Bharat Electronics, Reliance Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, InterGlobe Aviation, ICICI Bank and UltraTech Cement were among the other major gainers. Axis Bank, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Trent and Titan were the laggards.

Modi holds 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' on Brahmaputra cruise

Modi holds 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' on Brahmaputra cruise

Rediff.com21 Dec 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with students on a cruise ship on the Brahmaputra River during a 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' programme on the second day of his Assam visit.

'Insult to House': Uproar in RS over absence of Cabinet ministers

'Insult to House': Uproar in RS over absence of Cabinet ministers

Rediff.com12 Dec 2025

Chairman C P Radhakrishnan said he will take it up with the government and asked a junior minister to request the presence of a Cabinet minister in the House.

Bihar polls or Trump tariffs?: Oppn on GST reforms

Bihar polls or Trump tariffs?: Oppn on GST reforms

Rediff.com4 Sep 2025

Victory wrested from regime that only listens when forced, the TMC said on GST exemption on insurance.

Gold likely to hold ground; silver braces for volatility

Gold likely to hold ground; silver braces for volatility

Rediff.com8 Feb 2026

Gold prices are likely to trade firm next week as traders await key economic data, including US inflation numbers, for fresh cues on interest rate outlook, while silver may remain volatile amid shifting risk sentiment and speculative activity, analysts said.

No outlay for Chabahar port, India cuts Bangladesh aid

No outlay for Chabahar port, India cuts Bangladesh aid

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

It is learnt that India was mulling various options relating to the project after Trump administration threatened a 25 per cent additional tariff on countries doing business with Tehran.

India wants certainty, transparency in US visa regime: Nirmala Sitharaman

India wants certainty, transparency in US visa regime: Nirmala Sitharaman

Rediff.com21 Feb 2017

The proposed overhaul of popular H-1B visa regime may result in higher operational costs and shortage of skilled workers for the $110-billion Indian outsourcing industry.

Was mocked on streets for learning Hindi: Sitharaman

Was mocked on streets for learning Hindi: Sitharaman

Rediff.com3 Dec 2024

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday expressed anguish over not being allowed to learn Hindi in Tamil Nadu as a student and was even mocked on the streets for attempting to learn the language.

Govt cannot restrain retail investors from trading in F&O: FM

Govt cannot restrain retail investors from trading in F&O: FM

Rediff.com6 Nov 2025

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the government cannot restrain retailers from trading in Futures and Options (F&O) but will definitely create awareness regarding the risks involved in putting money in such instruments.

Nirmala Sitharaman gets defence, Piyush Goyal gets railways

Nirmala Sitharaman gets defence, Piyush Goyal gets railways

Rediff.com3 Sep 2017

In the third reshuffle since coming to power, Prime Minister Modi raised the strength of his Council of Ministers from 73 to 76.

Budget 2026 backs jobs, tech and capital markets

Budget 2026 backs jobs, tech and capital markets

Rediff.com4 Feb 2026

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.

The many moods of Nirmala Sitharaman

The many moods of Nirmala Sitharaman

Rediff.com17 Dec 2018

In a scathing attack on the Congress, Defence Minister Niramala Sitharaman on Monday alleged that the opposition party was "knowingly" misleading people over the Rafale jets' pricing.

Behind the scenes: Sitharaman chaired 3 separate meetings on GSTN preparedness for GST 2.0

Behind the scenes: Sitharaman chaired 3 separate meetings on GSTN preparedness for GST 2.0

Rediff.com8 Sep 2025

To ensure a glitch-free rollout of the next-generation GST with reduced rates and lesser slabs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired three separate meetings to assess GSTN's preparedness and the time it would take to implement technological changes required in the software systems.

Why Capital Expenditure Needs Monitoring

Why Capital Expenditure Needs Monitoring

Rediff.com23 Feb 2026

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.

RBI looks to ban sales incentive to bank staffers from third party

RBI looks to ban sales incentive to bank staffers from third party

Rediff.com12 Feb 2026

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.

What Gifts Did Naidu Bring Nirmalaji?

What Gifts Did Naidu Bring Nirmalaji?

Rediff.com6 Mar 2025

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu showered gifts on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman when he met her in New Delhi on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.

Sitharaman on how a nation creates wealth

Sitharaman on how a nation creates wealth

Rediff.com31 May 2025

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.

India poised to be global hub for digital infra, AI: Modi

India poised to be global hub for digital infra, AI: Modi

Rediff.com15 Feb 2026

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.

What Budget 2026 Says About Taxes

What Budget 2026 Says About Taxes

Rediff.com5 Feb 2026

This Budget positions India's taxation ideology as not merely a revenue source but as a strategic catalyst for growth, inclusion and long-term confidence.

Sitharaman tables Economic Survey 2024-25 in LS

Sitharaman tables Economic Survey 2024-25 in LS

Rediff.com31 Jan 2025

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday presented the Economic Survey 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha. The Economic Survey is an annual document presented by the government ahead of the Union Budget to review the state of the economy.

'People Ask Why You Have To Be So Rigid'

'People Ask Why You Have To Be So Rigid'

Rediff.com17 Jul 2025

'It is not rigidity.' 'I am just sticking to what I believe very strongly in, particularly if you have been given an opportunity to serve the country....'

Will Budget 2026 Break Sunday Rule?

Will Budget 2026 Break Sunday Rule?

Rediff.com20 Dec 2025

Officials said the government is keen to conform to the convention of the Union Budget for 2026-2027 being presented on February 1 despite it falling on a Sunday in 2026.

Budget 2026: Is Customs Amnesty Scheme On The Cards?

Budget 2026: Is Customs Amnesty Scheme On The Cards?

Rediff.com7 Jan 2026

Total pending Customs arrears, including amounts under litigation, court stays and cases where the appeal period has not expired, stood at about Rs 1.36 trillion at the end of December 2024.

Strikes Shake India's Gig Economy

Strikes Shake India's Gig Economy

Rediff.com21 Feb 2026

Two of the three strikes are related to the gig economy, a centrepiece of the new labour Codes.

Sitharaman introduces New Income Tax Bill in LS

Sitharaman introduces New Income Tax Bill in LS

Rediff.com13 Feb 2025

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Income Tax Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday and urged Speaker Om Birla to refer it to a select committee of the House. Opposition members opposed the Bill at the introduction stage but the House passed a motion by voice vote for its introduction.