Budget Watch

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her eighth consecutive budget today. This will also be the second budget under the third term of the Modi administration

Bengal has been completely deprived in this Union Budget, WB CM said

The stock market's knee-jerk reaction must not define FM Sitharaman's far-reaching Budget

Budget 2024: Centre is considering tax incentives and other measures to support the textile and apparel industry, including reducing customs duties on imported cotton and revising the PLI scheme

Budget 2024: Industry leaders have urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to accord infrastructure status for hotels across all categories built at a project cost of Rs 10 crore and above

At the heart of the debate lies the future of automotive propulsion technologies

Ashwini Vaishnaw recently announced that the national transporter will manufacture 10,000 non-air-conditioned coaches over the next two financial years

Ahead of the Union Budget, the consumer sector is calling on the govt to enhance both rural and urban infra, create a more business-friendly environment, and prioritise measures to boost demand

The sector also expects the Centre to provide measures, including tax breaks, to boost the demand for affordable housing, generally priced below Rs 50 lakh

In Union Budget for FY25, experts anticipate expanded coverage and increased funding for major health initiatives in the upcoming budget

The government is looking to expand funds for research in rural 5G use cases

Sector executives are expecting a relook of GST rates across the renewable energy supply chain, and viability gap funding for newer sectors

However, this path may not be as easy for the government to tread

Government's equity dilution in state-owned lenders will be one issue financial market observers will monitor

It will be interesting to see the path the FM opts for in the Budget and how she strikes a balance between the govt's political compulsions and economy's medium-term needs

Steel companies hope the govt will continue to focus on infra expansion while also giving the industry a level playing field to compete with imports

Rural consumption slowdown and slowing bank deposits are among other issues she should consider

Expectations rise for investments, simplified tax norms, and sectoral support

Industry association wants levels for safe harbour provisions raised to enable greater participation

Centre has set annual defence production target of Rs 3 trillion by FY29, which would be an over three-fold jump from current levels