Here are the key numbers to watch out for in the Union Budget for 2025-26:
'Repeated adjournments are one of the largest contributors to lengthy litigation cycles.'
'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.'
Encouraging domestic financial savings through focused measures would help mobilise long term resources for funding infrastructure and economic development.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's biggest challenge will be to find a new growth driver, particularly against the backdrop of a global economy ravaged by heightened uncertainty and fragmentation, financial markets on a precipice, and global commodity prices on a continued uptrend.
The West Bengal government has filed FIRs against five state government employees for alleged lapses in electoral roll revisions, following an Election Commission ultimatum. The action comes after the EC directed the state to initiate criminal cases against the accused for adding fictitious names to voter lists.
Sunetra Pawar, wife of late NCP leader Ajit Pawar, was sworn in as Maharashtra's first woman deputy Chief Minister after being elected as the leader of the NCP legislature wing.
The government is likely to give a subsidy of Rs 30,000-35,000 crore to state-run oil companies - Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) - to compensate for losses incurred from selling LPG at below cost over the past 15 months, according to a senior official.
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.
Will rising tensions between US-Israel and Iran threaten crude oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, putting India's fuel prices, imports, and economic stability at risk?
The unchanged duty structure for the cement industry is a major disappointment. However impetus for rural growth and infrastructure development will ensure healthy demand to continue.
Only the government's emphasis on infrastructure, special announcements on key sectors like telecom, automobiles, etc in the coming Budget can bring cheer to the plastic industry.
As per the White Paper issued by FICCI Gems & Jewellery Group -- the total size of the Gems & Jewellery Sector (both domestic and exports) was about Rs 4,15,000 crore (Rs 4,150 billion).
Seeks removal of custom duty on commodity polymers and cut in others, but also seeks hike in customs duty on plastic products
Since items in the 12% category account for only about 5% of total GST, the additional boost to consumption may not be significant, points out M Govinda Rao.
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.
Central Excise - Kerosene used for extraction of paraffin retrospective exemption to returned kerosene no unjust enrichment refund entitled : Madras High Court
Three laws passed in Parliament could boost central revenues, reshape GST cess flows, shift MGNREGA costs to states and create new budget headroom ahead of the 2026-2027 Union Budget, points out A K Bhattacharya.
With the Union Budget nearing, excise duty on cars is back as a topic of debate.
The textile sector seeks cut in Excise duty on MMF to provide level playing field and hike in allocation under Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme
The Centre is staring at a combined shortfall of up to Rs 1 trillion in excise and Customs revenues in the current financial year (FY23) compared to the Budget estimates (BE), mainly because of duty cuts on edible oil and petroleum products. The government set a target of Rs 3.35 trillion for excise and Rs 2.13 trillion for Customs mop-up for FY23 while presenting the Budget in February. "As excise duty collection is mainly driven by diesel volumes, we might see a clear gap in the level budgeted for FY23, following the reduction in cesses on petrol and diesel in May. We are expecting somewhere between Rs 80,000 crore and Rs 1 trillion dip in excise and customs duty collections," a senior government official told Business Standard.
Indian Oil Corporation's (IOC's) Q2FY26 operating profit of 14,600 crore beat Street estimates and was up 16 per cent on a sequential basis. It surged 287 per cent over the year-ago quarter on account of an improved refining performance.
The government will cut excise and customs duty on petrol, diesel, LPG and kerosene to contain the effect of spike in international crude oil prices, which touched an all-time high of $47 a barrel.
The best course for the government at this time would be to tighten the seat belt a little more, without compromising on its investments in creating better infrastructure and giving a push to privatisation, points out A K Bhattacharya.
A series of strikes at the country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India's Manesar plant since June this year has resulted in excise revenue losses to the tune of nearly Rs 350 crore (Rs 3.50 billion) for the government, while the company has already suffered a hit of up to Rs 1,540 crore (Rs 15.40 billion).
Among the different products, Air conditioners and LCD's are expected to have a higher growth rate for next few years in the industry.
Reduction in corporate tax rate: In view of the fact that the present Budget is expected to be intermediate in nature, insofar as it would pave the way forward for DTC, it will be commendable if CTR in FY 2012-13 is brought down at least to match the proposed rate of flat 30 per cent in the DTC.
Remove 10 per cent Excise Duty on Branded Garments or reduced it to 1 per cent level in line with 130 Other Items. Extend benefits of Section 35 (2AB) of the Income Tax Act (deduction of 150 per cent of the expenditure incurred on In-house Research and Development Facility by any Company engaged in the business of Manufacture or Production of any Article or thing specified in the Eleventh Schedule).
Seeks to promoting a Fibre Neutral Fiscal Policy
Multiple tailwinds for the automobile sector, including a cut in goods and services tax (GST) rates, are keeping analysts bullish on auto stocks from a long-term perspective, even as they see the rally running its course in the near term.
India's cement demand is expected to grow by over 10 per cent.
Realistically no major reforms are expected for the pesticides industry. Reduction in excise duty is very unlikely, as it would not solve the basic problem of spurious manufacturers.
The Supreme Court has said that selling land or property is not a service under the Finance Act, 1994, so such sales cannot be charged with service tax.
India, the world's third largest oil importing and consuming nation, is likely to save as much as Rs 1.8 lakh crore on import of crude oil and LNG if the trend of softening international energy rates continues, Icra said Wednesday. India, which meets over 85 per cent of its crude oil needs through imports, spent $242.4 billion on buying crude from overseas in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday took a swipe at the BJP over the cut in excise duties on petrol and diesel, saying the results of the 30 assembly and three Lok Sabha by-elections have "produced a by-product".
In Delhi, petrol price down Rs 2.5 a litre, diesel by Rs 2.25
The government on Saturday said it will earn an additional Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion) from the hike in excise and restoration of duties on petroleum products, while it will lose Rs 21,000 crore (Rs 210 billion) due to income tax sops.
The duty hike on cigarettes by 16 per cent announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 would have a nominal impact of around 7-12 paise per stick across cigarette categories, according to experts. This upward revision in National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD) would have negligible impact on smokers and the companies could easily absorb the shock as it may not also have any resultant impact on margins, they said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharama in the Union Budget for 2023-24 on Wednesday proposed to revise and increase the duty on cigarettes to about 16 per cent.
India's 18 largest states, accounting for over 90 per cent of the country's gross state domestic product (GSDP), are likely to record a marginal uptick in revenue growth to 7-9 per cent this year, from 6.6 per cent clocked in 2024-25 (FY25), rating agency Crisil said in a report on Tuesday. This growth, slower than the decadal average of about 10 per cent, would lift these states' cumulative revenue to around Rs 40 trillion in FY26 from Rs 37.26 trillion in FY25.
Beer to be allowed in certain offices in Haryana; other states allow its sale in stores and malls.
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