News for 'Union Budget 2026-27'

Cabinet approves Union Budget 2026-27

Cabinet approves Union Budget 2026-27

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday approved the Union Budget 2026-27.

Highlights of Union Budget 2026-27

Highlights of Union Budget 2026-27

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Highlights of Union Budget 2026-27

Union Budget: ASK YOUR TAX QUESTIONS

Union Budget: ASK YOUR TAX QUESTIONS

Rediff.com31 Jan 2026

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.

Infographics: Union Budget 2026 at a glance

Infographics: Union Budget 2026 at a glance

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Infographics break down the key numbers and decisions, making it quick and easy to understand what the Budget means for the economy.

Union Budget 2026: Fiscal deficit target set at 4.3%

Union Budget 2026: Fiscal deficit target set at 4.3%

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

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.

Budget 2026: Lokpal gets Rs 30 crore

Budget 2026: Lokpal gets Rs 30 crore

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

The Lokpal, India's anti-corruption ombudsman, has been allocated Rs 30 crore in the Union Budget 2026-27. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has been allocated Rs 54.56 crore.

Union Budget 2026: Sitharaman tries to cover all bases, leaves out markets

Union Budget 2026: Sitharaman tries to cover all bases, leaves out markets

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Budget 2026 sticks to fiscal discipline, shuns populist measures despite five key state elections coming up, but ends up rattling stock markets with a higher transaction tax on derivatives trading.

Budget: Where the rupee comes from, where it goes

Budget: Where the rupee comes from, where it goes

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Around 24 paise will come from borrowings and other liabilities, 10 paise from non-tax revenue like disinvestment, and 2 paise from non-debt capital receipts, the Budget documents showed.

How stock markets will fare on this Budget Day

How stock markets will fare on this Budget Day

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Bharat Electronics, Power Grid, NTPC and HDFC Bank were among the other major gainers. However, Infosys, Tata Steel, Eternal and Tech Mahindra were among the laggards.

Budget hollow, directionless; ignoring people's hardships: Opposition

Budget hollow, directionless; ignoring people's hardships: Opposition

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

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.

Budget 2026 boosts healthcare spend, drugs relief

Budget 2026 boosts healthcare spend, drugs relief

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

The government on Sunday gave a strong push to upgradation and expansion of healthcare infrastructure, medical education and pharma sector with the Union Budget 2026-27 announcing a slew of steps, including those aimed at making India a global hub for allied healthcare professionals and biopharma manufacturing.

Sitharaman takes part in customary halwa ceremony

Sitharaman takes part in customary halwa ceremony

Rediff.com28 Jan 2026

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.

Govt proposes to lower debt-to-GDP ratio to 55.6%

Govt proposes to lower debt-to-GDP ratio to 55.6%

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

The government has proposed to lower debt-to-GDP ratio to 55.6 per cent in FY27, from 56.1 per cent in the current fiscal year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday.

Govt proposes to lower debt-to-GDP ratio to 55.6%

Govt proposes to lower debt-to-GDP ratio to 55.6%

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

The government has proposed to lower debt-to-GDP ratio to 55.6 per cent in FY27, from 56.1 per cent in the current fiscal year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday.

Budget 2026's tax proposals weave a strategic vision

Budget 2026's tax proposals weave a strategic vision

Rediff.com4 Feb 2026

The proposals outlined in Budget 2026-27 represent a carefully crafted, multi-year strategy designed to strengthen India's big bets on the path to Viksit Bharat 2047, says Sameer Gupta.

Small taxpayers get relief window for foreign asset disclosure

Small taxpayers get relief window for foreign asset disclosure

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed a six-month foreign asset disclosure scheme for small taxpayers like students, tech professionals and relocated NRIs as she presented the Union Budget 2026-27.

India Inc lauds Budget for bold bets on AI, data centres

India Inc lauds Budget for bold bets on AI, data centres

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

India Inc on Sunday hailed the Union Budget 2026-27 as a 'structural shift' in the country's technology landscape, noting that the government is moving beyond fragmented pilots to build foundational layers where AI serves as a 'horizontal enabler' for the entire economy.

Govt plans to cut TCS rate to 2% for education, medical purposes

Govt plans to cut TCS rate to 2% for education, medical purposes

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed to reduce the tax collection at source (TCS) rate to 2 per cent for education and medical purposes under Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) as well as on sale of overseas tour program package.

Budget 2026: Regulatory Framework For Crypto Exchanges On Cards?

Budget 2026: Regulatory Framework For Crypto Exchanges On Cards?

Rediff.com27 Jan 2026

Enforcement agencies have highlighted risks related to money laundering and terror financing, prompting closer scrutiny of crypto platforms operating in India.

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.

Big Labour Budget: 61% Unspent

Big Labour Budget: 61% Unspent

Rediff.com5 Feb 2026

Of the Rs 31,820.80 crore allocated to central sector schemes and projects, only Rs 11,868.05 crore was utilised, according to the revised estimates.

MHA gets Rs 2.55 lakh cr as Budget sharpens focus on internal security

MHA gets Rs 2.55 lakh cr as Budget sharpens focus on internal security

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

The Union Budget 2025-26 had allocated Rs 2,33,210.68 crore (BE) to the ministry helmed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Budget 2026: Prez Murmu offers 'Dahi-Cheeni' to Sitharaman

Budget 2026: Prez Murmu offers 'Dahi-Cheeni' to Sitharaman

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Sitharaman continues with the tradition she set in 2019, carrying the budget speech in a 'bahi-khata', which she used after dropping the briefcase tradition.

Overseas residents eligible to invest in Indian equities

Overseas residents eligible to invest in Indian equities

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said individual persons residing outside India (PROI) will be permitted equity investments in listed Indian companies through a portfolio investment scheme.

Budget 2026: What's cheaper, what's costlier

Budget 2026: What's cheaper, what's costlier

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

As many as 17 cancer drugs, along with medicines and food for special medical needs for seven rare diseases, components for microwave ovens are some of the items that are set to become cheaper with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing cuts in customs duty in the Union Budget 2026-27.

Budget 2026: The Business Of IP Remains Unfinished

Budget 2026: The Business Of IP Remains Unfinished

Rediff.com23 Feb 2026

The Union Budget backs skilling across animation, gaming and comics. But creators and studios confront a hard question: who owns what comes next?

Budget themes paint it as a reformative exercise

Budget themes paint it as a reformative exercise

Rediff.com11 Feb 2026

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.

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.

Brokerage stocks tank over 18% as Budget hikes STT on commodity futures

Brokerage stocks tank over 18% as Budget hikes STT on commodity futures

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Shares of brokerage-related companies nosedived 18 per cent on Sunday after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed raising securities transaction tax on commodity futures to 0.05 per cent from 0.02 per cent in the Union Budget 2026-27.

A long-game Budget

A long-game Budget

Rediff.com2 Feb 2026

The Union Budget for 2026-27, presented by Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, which was a first, had an excellent domestic macro backdrop. According to the first advance estimates, gross domestic product (GDP) in constant prices is projected to grow 7.4 per cent in the current financial year, against 6.5 per cent in 2024-25.

Budget 2026: Reform Express is on its way, says Nirmala

Budget 2026: Reform Express is on its way, says Nirmala

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Various reforms, including GST, labour codes, and quality control order, have been rolled out since August 15.

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.

Ambitious, futuristic: PM Modi lauds Sitharaman's 9th Budget

Ambitious, futuristic: PM Modi lauds Sitharaman's 9th Budget

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Reiterating Sitharaman's statement that this is a youth power budget, Modi emphasised that the provisions made in the budget will prepare leaders, innovators and creators across different sectors.

VP Radhakrishnan Calls on Nagaland University Graduates to Embrace Leadership

VP Radhakrishnan Calls on Nagaland University Graduates to Embrace Leadership

Rediff.com6 days ago

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan addressed Nagaland University graduates, urging them to become responsible leaders and contribute to nation-building, emphasising the importance of peace, unity, and character for development.

Union Budget 2025: Key numbers to be watched

Union Budget 2025: Key numbers to be watched

Rediff.com30 Jan 2025

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her 8th straight Budget and all eyes will be on the much-expected tax relief for the middle class. Sitharaman had in her first Budget in 2019 replaced the leather briefcase -- which had been in use for decades for carrying Budget documents -- with a traditional 'bahi-khata' wrapped in red cloth.

Budget may signal new cooperative ambition

Budget may signal new cooperative ambition

Rediff.com12 Jan 2026

The Union Budget for 2026-27 is expected to sketch out a road map for trebling the cooperative sector's contribution to the Indian economy over the next decade, with the aim of bringing 500 million people within its ambit, in line with the objectives of the National Cooperative Policy, 2025.

Urban India likely to account for 70% of GDP in FY26

Urban India likely to account for 70% of GDP in FY26

Rediff.com21 Feb 2026

India's urban areas are projected to contribute 70 per cent of gross domestic product in 2025-26, up from 45 per cent in the 1990s, according to a report by Dun & Bradstreet.

Budget 2026: Key numbers to be watched

Budget 2026: Key numbers to be watched

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

Here are the key numbers to watch out for in the Union Budget for 2025-26:

Eligible Manufacturer Importers Scheme, Starting April 1, Will Ease Customs Duty Payments

Eligible Manufacturer Importers Scheme, Starting April 1, Will Ease Customs Duty Payments

Rediff.com1 Mar 2026

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) announced the implementation of the Eligible Manufacturer Importers (EMI) scheme from April 1, allowing eligible importers to defer customs duty payments.

Govt raises FY27 capex target to Rs 12.12 lakh cr

Govt raises FY27 capex target to Rs 12.12 lakh cr

Rediff.com1 Feb 2026

The government also proposes to set up risk guarantee fund for infrastructure sector, she added.