While the tax-to-GDP ratio of 9.88 per cent has been assumed for FY21, the same as last year, when it touched a decadal low, for FY22 a ratio of 10.7 per cent has been assumed, an average of the last five years.
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.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced an increase in the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on Futures and Options trade with a view to discouraging small investors from speculative trading in derivatives, which led to a sharp decline in the stock market.
There is record underperformance and under-ownership. Some of this is cyclical and will turn on its own. However, we also need to regain our growth credentials. For this, both the government and companies have a role to play, as do investors, points out Akash Prakash.
India's privatisation push, once projected as a cornerstone of economic reform, has suffered another setback, with the Centre set to call off the IDBI Bank stake sale, highlighting the political and structural constraints shaping the country's disinvestment policy, experts say.
Net direct tax collection grew 8 per cent to over Rs 17.04 lakh crore this fiscal till December 17 on slower refunds and higher advance taxes from corporates, the income tax department data showed on Friday.
On Agri Stack, Expenditure Secy V Vualnam says it's progressing well; using IT, farmers will be able to choose exact fertiliser quantities needed, reducing crowding at fertiliser outlets.
FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Thursday reported a two-fold jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 6,603 crore in the December quarter of FY'26, on a year-on-year basis, driven by a one-off positive impact from the demerger of its ice cream business.
Major paint companies in India, including Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Akzo Paints, and Kansai Nerolac, have announced price hikes ranging from 1% to 8% across various product lines, effective from mid-March to late April, in response to persistently high crude oil and gas prices.
The Indian rupee rebounded against the US dollar following intervention by the Reserve Bank of India, amidst ongoing concerns about foreign capital outflows, rising crude oil prices, and geopolitical instability.
Fashion and lifestyle retailer Trent on Friday reported a 11.3 per cent on year rise in its consolidated net profit for the second quarter of 2025-26 (Q2FY26). Its revenue from operations rose 15.9 per cent to Rs 4,817.68 crore in Q2 compared to the same period last year.
India's new manufacturing project announcements more than halved in the fourth quarter of FY26, falling 60 per cent sequentially and 78 per cent year-on-year to approximately 1.7 trillion, driven by global uncertainties, geopolitical conflicts in West Asia, and existing unutilised manufacturing capacity.
'Global uncertainty is something which definitely occupies the minds of officials when we are preparing for the Budget.'
The Central Information Commission has ordered the disclosure of an investigation into a retired IRS officer's alleged acquisition of assets under different identities and subsequent name change to claim ownership, deeming the case a potentially significant revelation.
The government on Monday said the total tax revenue in 2011-12 would be up 18.50 per cent at Rs 9,32,439.88 crore, on the back of projected rise in revenue from taxes on income, services, customs and excise duties.
Cigarette-to-soap conglomerate ITC on Thursday reported a consolidated net profit (attributable to owners) of Rs 4,931.19 crore for the third quarter (October-December/Q3) of 2025-26 (FY26), affected by a one-time provision related to the new labour codes and a base effect from an exceptional item in Q3 of 2024-25. In the year-ago period, net profit had stood at Rs 4,934.8 crore.
Pune-based two-wheeler major Bajaj Auto posted its highest ever quarterly revenue and profit after tax (PAT) in Q2FY26. Even as consolidated revenues were up 18.8 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 15,734.7 crore, PAT zoomed 53.2 per cent to Rs 2,122 crore.
"There is an India that is embracing global luxury symbols and another which, as it evolves, is comfortable owning its 'Indian-ness'. We're deeply rooted in India, yet global," say Nicobar Design founders Simran Lal and Raul Rai.
Gross GST collections rose 6.2 per cent to a three-month high of over Rs 1.93 lakh crore in January, indicating increased consumption is making up for rate cuts late last year, sources said on Sunday.
Capex, infrastructure development, and prudent fiscal management are the key focus areas in the Budget, says Nilesh Shah.
10 stocks from the Nifty 200 index that offer good growth potential and scope to deliver decent returns from current levels, based on brokerage estimates.
The reason is because there aren't any screens for a large mass of Indians.
The government on Monday projected a 16.67 per cent growth in gross tax revenue in the next fiscal beginning April 1, at over Rs 22.17 lakh crore. The revised estimates of gross tax revenue for the current fiscal has been pegged at Rs 19 lakh crore, lower than the Rs 24.23 lakh crore budgeted earlier. Economic Affairs secretary Tarun Bajaj said, "Our revenue figure is under-stated not overstated.
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies are expected to report mid-single-digit revenue growth in the July-September 2025-26 quarter, according to their quarterly updates. Most companies also noted that supply chains were focused on liquidating existing stock ahead of the implementation of new goods and services tax (GST) rates in categories where the tax was lowered.
Riding on a buoyant economy and better tax compliance, gross tax revenue collections are likely to surpass the Rs 6,00,000 crore (Rs 6000 billion) mark in 2007-08. In other words, tax revenue is expected to double compared with Rs 3,04,958 crore (Rs 3049.58 billion) in 2004-05.
The Trump administration has announced a temporary authorisation for countries to purchase Russian oil stranded at sea, aiming to stabilise global energy markets amid rising oil prices and tensions with Iran.
Building on last year's clearance of 172K cases, I-T department is pushing for faster appeal disposals, penalty reforms and system-driven processes to curb litigation and boost tax certainty.
Cognizant reported a significant increase in net income for the December quarter, driven by AI efficiencies and strong performance in the financial services sector. The company also announced a major deal and provided guidance for the upcoming year.
The Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) has resolved to implement a revenue-sharing model for big-budget films, requiring actors and technicians to share profits and losses. The move aims to address financial pressures from declining theatrical and OTT revenues. The TFPC also mandated staggered OTT release windows and formed a committee to ensure access to theaters for smaller films.
Ahead of the Union Budget 2026-27, Indian business houses have urged the government to make demergers tax-neutral, particularly in cases involving transfer of investments in associate companies with 25 per cent or more shareholding, under the new Income Tax Act. This may possibly help some companies planning to go public, according to a source.
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.
India's brittle energy security is inextricably linked to two opposing paradigms - fossil fuels, and the transition to green energy. The first powers the present; the second paves the way for Viksit Bharat in 2047.
Hindustan Unilever Limited's (HUL's) standalone revenue grew 4.4 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), while volume rose 3.5 per cent during the third quarter of financial year 2026 (FY26).
The thinking at the Centre is that since the RBI has ramped up purchases of government bonds, the interest earned on them will be transferred to the exchequer as dividend.
The UK High Court has rejected Nirav Modi's attempt to reopen his extradition case, citing the Indian government's comprehensive assurances against torture as sufficient to allow his transfer to India.
The finance minister could review customs duty on crude oil, other exemptions.
India Inc will contribute 82 per cent of the total tax revenues of the Centre this fiscal and the share of income tax still accounted for a mere 18 per cent as majority of the population was out of the tax net.
Tata Motors' commercial-vehicle (CV) business reported a 48 per cent year-on-year decline in net profit to Rs 705 crore in Q3FY26, even as profit before tax (PBT) rose 65 per cent to Rs 2,568 crore.
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.
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.
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