Reacting to India’s Budget for 2026-27, Moody’s Ratings described it as “tactical” but not a “breakthrough.” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Budget, outlining the government’s economic roadmap for the next financial year. Planned fiscal consolidation, which will bring the budget gap to 4.3% from 4.4% in the current year, will not change…
Image used for representation purpose only. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Eschewing big-ticket announcements, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday (February 1, 2026) resorted to a series of customs duty exemptions in the Union Budget to encourage domestic manufacturers of clean-energy components, including lithium-ion batteries and solar cells. The basic customs duty on sodium antimonate,…
Gold fell, following its biggest plunge in more than a decade, and silver whipsawed in choppy trading after a dramatic pullback from record highs. Spot gold fell as much as 6.3% on Monday. Silver swung sharply, dropping to around $75 an ounce having earlier climbed as much as 3.2%. The white metal recorded its biggest…
Unlike last year, Budget 2026—the ninth presented by Nirmala Sitharaman—avoids big-bang moves, opting instead for calibrated steps to support growth, avoid the middle-income trap, and stay on track towards developed-nation status.
Image used for representation purpose only. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto During her Union Budget presentation on Sunday (February 1, 2026), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed that the new Income Tax, 2025, would come into effect in April this year, with the forms and rules to be notified “shortly” provisioning “adequate time” for taxpayers to acquaint themselves with the requirements. …
The Union budget adopted a manufacturing-led strategy to support exports and strengthen India’s integration into global supply chains, at a time when geopolitical tensions and trade disruptions are reshaping sourcing decisions worldwide. Presenting the budget, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government’s focus would be on lowering input costs, easing compliance and improving logistics and…
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, right, addresses a press conference after presenting the Union Budget 2026-27, in New Delhi, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary is also seen. | Photo Credit: PTI The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has seen an increase of 9.44% in the total allocation in the Union…
New Delhi: India has increased the capital outlay for defence by about 18% to nearly ₹2.2 trillion for the financial year starting 1 April (FY27), as the country looks to acquire sophisticated weapons and modernise its military assets amid rising security risks. The revised estimates put the defence sector’s capital outlay at ₹1.86 trillion in…
Where Budget 2025 was largely dominated by the income-tax rate and slab relaxations, Budget 2026 has done away with Big Bang measures. Instead, its scattershot approach, through various sectoral and issue-based measures, when taken together, is aimed at propelling India’s growth over the medium term. Given the level of geoeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties that the…
New Delhi: The Union budget for FY27 placed the textile sector at the centre of its manufacturing strategy for labour-intensive sectors, unveiling an integrated programme to boost exports, modernize clusters and strengthen India’s position in the global apparel and technical textile markets. Presenting the budget in Parliament on Sunday, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a…
