Taxes, excise duty and defence spending—what they say about India’s priorities

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2026–27 on Sunday, 1 February, against the backdrop of renewed geo-economic disruptions affecting India. With these pressures likely to spill into the coming financial year, the Budget offers a window into how the government plans to respond to a set of pressing challenges. In this five-part…

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Budget 2026: Customs duties cut, duty-free export timelines extended

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget 2026 speech, announced a series of customs duty changes aimed at easing input costs, improving export competitiveness, and rationalizing the tariff structure across sectors. Presenting the Union Budget 2026-27, Sitharaman said the government would raise the limit for duty-free imports of specified inputs used for processing seafood…

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Budget 2026: Self-Reliant India Fund to get additional ₹4,000 crore to bolster MSMEs

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday declared that the Self-Reliant India Fund would receive an additional ₹4,000 crore in fiscal year 2026-27 to bolster micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Initially launched in 2023, this fund was designed to provide ₹50,000 crore in equity capital to MSMEs demonstrating the capacity and stability to scale…

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Budget 2026: Shashi Tharoor awaits announcements for poll-bound Kerala; Akhilesh says no expectations

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said that he was looking forward to announcements for Kerala in the Union Budget 2026, with the state set to hold Assembly elections later this year. Speaking ahead of the Budget presentation by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament, Tharoor spoke up on the issue of unemployment, saying…

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Income Tax Budget 2026 LIVE: FM Nirmala Sitharaman may make income tax announcements today; relief coming for taxpayers?

Income Tax Budget 2026 LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to announce Union Budget 2026 in a matter of few hours. Ahead of the India Budget 2026, the finance minister will partake in rituals including visiting the finance ministry, visiting President Droupadi Murmu and finally reaching the Parliament. As FM Sitharaman presents her ninth…

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Union Budget 2026-27: What could be in for poll-bound West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, Puducherry

All eyes are on the Union Budget 2026-27 to be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, February 1. While she is expected to outline the government’s revenue and expenditure plans across sectors, the Centre is expected to lay special focus on poll-bound states. Also Read | Budget 2026 LIVE: Nirmala Sitharaman set to…

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Budget 2026 LIVE: Nirmala Sitharaman set to present 9th Union Budget in parliament — Tax relief in focus

India Budget 2026-27 LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her ninth consecutive Union Budget for the financial year 2026-27 on Sunday, 1 February 2026. All eyes await the upcoming announcement, which is set to be tabled at the Union parliament at 11 a.m. (IST) during Sunday’s Budget session. Ahead of the Budget…

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