Like every year, even the FY26 Union Budget will be analysed more for what it has done for growth, fiscal consolidation, capex/infrastructure, agriculture/rural, employment/skill development, MSME, climate change/energy transition, and above all, measures to support lagging consumption demand. All the announcements made in the budget help the country as a whole and, in turn, states…
A Mint analysis of 1,957 companies shows that individual investors (holding nominal share capital up to ₹ 2 lakhs) increased their ownership in approximately 51% of these companies between the September and December quarters. This compares with nearly 49% of stocks that saw a sequential rise in stakes in the previous two quarters. These 51%…
Budget 2025 Key Announcements: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2025-26 in the Parliament on February 1. This was her record eighth budget presented under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s third term i.e. Modi 3.0. In her speech, Sitharaman said the Budget aims at “transformative reforms” in six key areas — financial sector,…
1. A mini bazooka Faced with a sharp fall in urban consumption which dragged economic growth down in the second quarter of this fiscal to just 5.4% of the gross domestic product (GDP) compared to 8.2% in the same period last year, the finance minister had to act, and she decided to take the bull…
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has committed to developing at least 100 GW of nuclear energy by 2047. In her Union budget for 2025-26, she also proposed setting up a Nuclear Energy Mission with an outlay of ₹20,000 crore. The mission will focus on research and development of small modular reactors (SMRs), with an aim to…
The FY26 budget announced a long thread of schemes for rural India, including a comprehensive multi-sectoral rural prosperity and resilience programme, grameen credit score and broadband connectivity for all government secondary schools and primary health centres. But experts say allocations should have been higher, especially towards schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme…
Nirmala Sitharaman announced a major overhaul of the income tax system while outlining the Budget on Saturday. Individuals earning up to ₹12 lakh annually will no longer have to pay any tax under the new income tax regime — with benefit of ₹80,000. Sitharaman also proposed a change to the exemption limits and rejigged the…
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has delivered a realistic and positive punch to keep the economy progressing, especially with a strong push to boost urban consumption, at a very crucial time of challenges globally and domestically. The biggest positive of Budget 2025 is the reduction of taxes for the middle class, which leaves more money in…
In a post-budget interview with Mint, Pandey also said the government’s push for deregulation could see them being implemented as mandatory reforms, which states are required to implement to qualify for a share of the Centre’s 50-year interest-free capex loans. Meanwhile, the 16th Finance Commission, headed by economist Arvind Panagariya, will give guidance on the…
New Delhi: The Union government plans to raise the bar for benchmark reforms for states seeking access to its 50-year interest-free capital expenditure (capex) loans, aiming to drive deregulation and improve ease of doing business—a key focus of the latest budget – said Ajay Seth, secretary at the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA). “As we…
