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.
Government should provide a level playing field to domestic manufacturers by making customs duty @ 10 per cent, CVD @ NIL and SAD @ 4 per cent on all categories of power projects including power generation, transmission and distribution projects in line with other infrastructure projects like roads, airports, ports, railways, transport terminals, bridges, tunnels and dams.
'The next two to three weeks will not be decided in Washington.' 'They will be decided in Tehran, in whatever calculation Iran makes about the costs of continued resistance against the costs of appearing to have yielded.'
Considering rising dumping of steel into India, steel sector seeks hike in customs duty on steel and steel products from 5% to 15%, and hike export duty on iron ore.
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.
Of the donations, 48% is in kind -- such as food, clothing, or other household goods -- followed by cash (44%) and volunteering (30%) with non-profits, religious institutions, or community groups.
India will now face a lower reciprocal tariff of 10 per cent, down from 25 per cent, after US President Donald Trump announced a new global levy on items imported into America in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict against his sweeping duties on several nations.
Delhi Police have implemented heightened security measures in Dwarka, including Uttam Nagar, ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, following communal tensions sparked by a recent incident. The Delhi High Court has directed the police to ensure a peaceful environment for the festival.
Excise duty at 4% should be imposed on man-made fibres, POY and filament yarns.
It is difficult to make conveyor belt and baggage-scanning scenes thrilling -- which is how most people trying to sneak out through the Green Channel are caught -- but Neeraj Pandey and co-director Raghav M Jairath and co-writer Vipul K Rawal make sure there is enough going on to make the series watchable, raves Deepa Gahlot.
The revised duty will come into effect from midnight on February 24.
On the 95th anniversary of Bhagat Singh's martyrdom, Utkarsh Mishra revisits the ideas and philosophy of the revolutionary giant.
India on Monday announced closure of negotiations for a free trade agreement signed with New Zealand, its 18th deal so far as the country aims to boost bilateral trade and investments. The India-New Zealand FTA is expected to be signed in the next three months and it is likely to come into force next year.
India has revised its proposal to impose retaliatory duties under the WTO (World Trade Organisation) norms against the US over American tariffs on steel and aluminium in view of the further hike in duty by the Trump administration. The US first imposed 25 per cent tariffs on imports of aluminium, steel and derivative articles on March 12.
What items did Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman make cheaper?
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.
'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.'
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.
New Delhi will substantially reduce tariffs on industrial and agricultural goods while continuing to protect sensitive sectors. Tariffs on some agricultural products that are not traditionally considered sensitive will be brought down to zero, while in the case of relatively sensitive items, duties will be reduced in a graded manner and quotas will be imposed.
'We kept this Budget on a larger plank, rather than on one incident, however serious.'
"The postal tariffs will remain unchanged, ensuring that exporters continue to benefit from affordable international delivery rates while complying with the revised US import requirements. This measure has been introduced to maintain affordability, support MSMEs, and boost India's exports through the postal channel," India Post said.
Stock market is gearing up for an eventful week ahead where key triggers such as quarterly earnings from corporates, the US Fed interest rate decision and the upcoming Union Budget for 2026-27 would grab the limelight, analysts said.
Hiba Rana, daughter of poet Munawwar Rana, has filed a case against her husband alleging triple talaq, dowry harassment, and assault. The FIR details years of alleged abuse and demands for dowry.
BMW India CEO says gradual five-year import duty cuts under new FTAs create buyer hesitation and urges government to announce year-wise rates instead.
The India-EU free trade deal could help Indian-made cars enter Europe at lower costs and challenge Chinese dominance.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced the removal of import duties on 12 critical minerals, lithium-ion batteries scrap, cobalt products, LED, zinc and 36 drugs for cancer and rare diseases.
India has been on an FTA-signing spree of late. Since 2021, it has signed eight trade agreements, three of which -- with the UK, Oman and New Zealand -- were finalised in 2025 alone.
'We believe the truth is in the middle, and that India is at an important crossroads.'
The European Union's (EU's) offer to slash tariffs on 97.5 per cent of Indian chemical exports to zero is set to give India's pharmaceutical and medical device firms preferential access to the European markets.
The fiscal tilt towards capex benefits companies in investment-related sectors like capital goods, defence equipment, engineering & construction and metal & mining. The planned cut in revenue expenditure will weigh on companies in consumption sectors like FMCG, consumer durables and retail.
The Budget reflects a clear focus on strengthening India's long-term prospects by leaning on nation-building sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Here are the key numbers to watch out for in the Union Budget for 2025-26:
The government has forgone Rs 6,300 crore (Rs 63 billion) through cuts in customs duties announced since June 2006 to bring relief to the common man from high inflation, which stood at 4.80 per cent for the week ended June 2.
'No one can or will bar India from pursuing its energy goals as it wishes.' 'The US FTA wording may sound more restrictive, but the underlying reality will not undermine India's sovereign energy decisions.'
Once the might of the Indian establishment turned completely against the Maoists, there was no way they could survive -- either in Gadchiroli or anywhere else, points out M R Narayan Swamy.
IndiGo's CEO, Pieter Elbers, announced that the airline has stabilized operations after recent disruptions, focusing on resilience, root-cause analysis, and rebuilding. The airline had to cancel hundreds of flights due to planning issues linked to new pilot duty rules, crew shortages, winter weather and operational bottlenecks.
Industry experts are demanding a change in the inverted duty structures this Budget to boost domestic industries.
IndiGo has informed DGCA that 'all refunds for IndiGo flight cancellations during the period of December 3-5 have been fully processed and cleared to the original source of payment.'
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