Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced a Rs 6 lakh crore National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) that will look to unlock value in infrastructure assets across sectors ranging from power to road and railways. She also said the asset monetisation does not involve selling of land and it is about monetising brownfield assets. Projects have been identified across sectors, with roads, railways and power being the top segments.
The industry said if the policy was announced, it would have taken 28 million vehicles bought before March 2005 off the road.
The loss in Bihar has forced a change in NDA's market positioning, says Shekhar Gupta.
Outlining the Budget estimates for the coming year, the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu put the plan size at Rs 1.21 lakh crore.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said that the common people have always been the focus of all initiatives by the Indian Railways.
A likely easing in inflationary pressures in the forthcoming months will reopen the window for the RBI to once again prioritise growth and ease its interest rates.
As a percentage of the aggregate Budget expenditure, it is 12 per cent.
Modi claimed that some other parties were also helping the opposition alliance from behind but any vote for them will take Tripura several years backward.
Economy to grow by 7.2-7.5 per cent in second half of current fiscal, says FM.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rejigged his team only once, in July 2021, in his second term, unlike in his first stint, when he reshuffled and expanded his council three times.
Institutions will wait till there is more clarity on Budget.
'The Budget has maintained fiscal prudence while announcing a number of steps to boost growth, particularly in infrastructure and rural sectors.'
At the first meeting of Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek views of Chief Ministers.
The road ministry has put forward two proposals before the Prime Minister's Office and the finance ministry.
Spotlight likely on cement, metals, road cos
The finance minister's Budget presentation is a sombre affair, yes, but it wasn't as if the Lok Sabha was all serious through the speech.
The record of other prime ministers too shows how much can change when a prime minister is faced with the two-year challenge, says T N Ninan.
Money will be earmarked for the social sector - especially rural districts that house three-fifths of voters
Modi's government sees itself in a sweet spot with spare cash.
Amid protest over the proposed ambitious semi-highspeed SilverLine rail project, also known as K-Rail, the Kerala government on Saturday published the detailed project report that estimated the cost of project to be Rs 63,941 crore.
This Budget plans for an increase to 10.3% of GDP from 9.9%.
Opposition parties on Friday criticised the government's decision to hike railway fares terming it as "criminal" to burden the people with such an increase and questioned as to why Parliament was not taken into confidence before taking the step.
Sensex slumped 518 points to end the day at 25,582 and the Nifty slipped 164 points to close at 7,623.
India as a large country should have inter-modal connectivity, which will help us make travel easier, safer and seamless. That is how you will also gain. You will gain more money, make more revenues, says Praful Patel.
The rupee on Friday resumed lower at 60.25 a dollar from previous close of 60.19 at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market.
Hussain said the new government had inherited an "empty treasury" while the prices of oil were shooting up.
'I'm pitching India for the strengths we offer, including the English language, engineers, doctors, nurses, professionals, innovative talent of startups.'
The Budget has evoked mixed reactions from Silicon Valley investors.
'Short term volatility is likely due to various factors, global and domestic; investors may use this as an opportunity to increase the allocation to equities.'
This will encompass the sale of Air India, a number of other privatisation initiatives, mergers, initial public offerings, the Centre's two exchange-traded funds, buybacks and offers-for-sale, and even monetisation of land assets.
The dividends for the economy from such a rapid rise in capital expenditure would be huge, observes A K Bhattacharya.
Majority expect economy to slow down, but are satisfied with Modi govt's performance.
The Reserve Bank may cut key interest rates as early as this week.
The change in leadership at the railway ministry comes at a time when the national transporter is grappling with low passenger earnings even as it is trying to increase freight loading and open up its doors to private investment. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw took charge from Piyush Goyal who got the railway portfolio in 2017 after Prime Minister Narendra Modii dropped Suresh Prabhu from the Union Cabinet. Completing freight corridors, negotiating land for the bullet train, and speeding up monetisation plans would be some of the major focus areas for Vaishnaw.
'80% of the rural and urban population don't have enough purchasing power.'
She also took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party over its defeat in the just-concluded Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, saying the ruling party's president could not hold on to his home state. "Who is the Pappu now?" she asked.
Hygiene and cleanliness of trains and stations a must
Most expect the Budget to be path-breaking.
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