Economics
Trade, fiscal policy, banking, agriculture and economic indicators
Trump tariff shadow: Budget addresses US demands, backs vulnerable sectors
The Union Budget 2026-27 (presented February 1, 2026) was shaped in part by the shadow of Trump's tariff threats — Finance Minister Sitharaman made...
ExplainSpeaking: Making sense of the Budget, and what it means for the economy
The Union Budget 2026-27 balances three simultaneous objectives: fiscal consolidation (deficit 4.3% of GDP), growth acceleration (capex ₹12.2 lakh crore)...
Expert Explains: How Budget 2026 shifts from revenue collection to ‘institutional maturity’
Budget 2026-27, in conjunction with the new Income Tax Act, 2025 (coming into force April 1, 2026), signals a deliberate shift in India's direct tax...
India-US trade deal: How Trump influenced India’s trade policy in the run-up to the pact
US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% punitive tariff on Indian imports in August 2025, explicitly linked to India's continued purchase of Russian crude...
India–US trade deal reaffirms what had started looking hazy: India’s role as US ally & China counter
India and the United States announced a framework for an interim bilateral trade agreement on February 2, 2026, with the US agreeing to lower reciprocal...
What the new fiscal rule means for growth and spending
Budget 2026-27 introduces a new fiscal framework that replaces deficit-targeting with debt-to-GDP ratio as the primary fiscal anchor, marking a departure...
Pushing welfare towards the States
The Union Budget 2026-27, tabled alongside the 16th Finance Commission Report (for 2026-31 chaired by Arvind Panagariya), signals a structural shift in...
More boots, bigger budget: Agnipath outlay jumps 58%, Army’s share the largest
The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated ₹15,173.68 crore for the Agnipath scheme, representing an approximately 58% jump over the previous financial year's...
Union Budget 2026: Govt proposes to top up Self Reliant India Fund with Rs 4,000 crore in FY27 to support MSMEs
Union Budget 2026-27 proposed topping up the Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund with an additional ₹2,000 crore to continue providing risk capital support to...
Govt to double outlay of electronic components manufacturing scheme to Rs 40,000 cr: FM
The Union Budget 2026-27 doubled the outlay of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) from ₹22,919 crore to ₹40,000 crore to accelerate...
FM Sitharaman announces tax holiday for data centres in India till 2047
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a tax holiday till 2047 (Tax Year 2026-27 to 2046-47) for eligible foreign cloud service providers that...
Debt-to-GDP target set at 55.6% for FY27, nominal GDP growth pegged at 10%
The Union Budget 2026-27 introduced a significant fiscal strategy shift, making the debt-to-GDP ratio — rather than just the fiscal deficit — the primary...
Budget 2026: From heritage sites to medical hubs and eco trails, Sitharaman announces measures to boost tourism sector
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Union Budget 2026-27 (presented 1 February 2026) unveiled a multi-pronged tourism promotion strategy covering heritage...
Amid n-power push, govt exempts custom duty on capital goods
The Union Budget 2026-27 extended the basic customs duty (BCD) exemption on imports of capital goods required for nuclear power projects until 2035...
Budget 2026-27 hikes investment limits for persons resident outside India in a bid to boost FDI, FII inflows
The Union Budget 2026-27 raised the individual NRI investment limit in listed Indian companies from 5% to 10%, and the aggregate limit for all NRIs together...
Critical mineral: Union Budget exempts custom duty on capital goods for RE minerals push, boost exploration
Union Budget 2026-27 granted full exemption of Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on capital goods imported for processing critical minerals, including rare earth...
Fertiliser subsidy zooms amid unrestrained consumption, weak rupee and geopolitical tensions
India's fertiliser subsidy bill has surged sharply due to a combination of unrestrained consumption growth, rupee depreciation raising import costs, and...
Budget proposes schemes to revive 200 legacy industrial clusters
The Union Budget 2026-27 announced a scheme to revive 200 legacy industrial clusters across India, targeting improved infrastructure, access to technology...
In new debt-to-GDP era, FY27 target set at 55.6%
Union Budget 2026-27 set India's debt-to-GDP ratio target at 55.6% for FY27, down from an estimated 56.1% in FY26 — a reduction of 50 basis points (0.5...
Another bumper RBI dividend likely in FY27, disinvestments seen at Rs 80,000 crore
Analysts and government sources expect the RBI to transfer another large surplus dividend to the central government in FY2026-27, following the record ₹2.1...