Budget 2026 LIVE updates: Govt defends STT hike to ‘reduce systemic risk in derivatives market’

Mamata Banerjee calls Union Budget a 'Humpty Dumpty budget'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the Union Budget 2026–27, calling it a “directionless and visionless Humpty Dumpty Budget” and alleging that it offers “nothing for the common man or for Bengal.”

Ex-FM says the 2026 budget ignored Economic Survey, lacks direction

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram voiced sharp disappointment over the Union Budget, arguing that it fell short on both economic strategy and statesmanship. “It appears that the govt, FM discarded Eco Survey, fell back on their favourite pastime of throwing acronyms at people,” he said.

Budget proposes support for domestic accounting firms to compete globally

The government’s plan to build large, home-grown accounting and advisory firms also featured in this year’s Budget speech. While announcing a series of tax measures, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the proposals are aimed at improving ease of doing business, with a push to nurture domestic firms capable of competing on a global scale.

Why is the rupee under stress? FM cites global uncertainty

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said global uncertainty is weighing on the rupee, even as India’s domestic economic fundamentals continue to remain strong.

Govt boosts road infrastructure spend by 8% to over ₹3 lakh crore for FY27

The government has stepped up spending on road infrastructure, raising the budget for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to ₹3.09 lakh crore for FY27. The allocation represents an increase of around 8% over the ₹2.87 lakh crore set aside for the current financial year.

TMC's Abhishek Banerjee slams budget for ignoring Bengal

"The Budget that was presented was 1 hour and 25 minutes of the speech of the Union Finance Minister. 85 minutes means 5100 seconds. In these 5100 seconds, Bengal’s name was not taken even once…All communities, be it the farmer community or the youth of the country – the goverment speaks of AI, Skill India and technological advancement, there was no concrete discussion on how will jobs be provided to the youth and how will employment be generated," following the budget, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee said in front of the reporters.

‘Tax holidays are nothing new....’ Industry expert weighs in on new tax hiatus announced during Union Budget

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a tax holiday for cloud services that will maintain local data centres in the Union Budget of 2026. The tax hiatus has been announced for foreign companies till 2047, which will provide global cloud services while using Indian data centres...Read More.

Budget 2026 bets big on electronics, semiconductors and data centres

Budget 2026 placed technology firmly at the centre of the government’s agenda, earmarking ₹40,000 crore for electronics manufacturing and rolling out ISM 2.0 to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem. The proposals also include tax breaks for data centres, reforms in IT services, and a range of digital initiatives aimed at boosting agriculture, skill development and innovation across sectors.

As Union Budget signals long-term investment push, THIS industry leader welcomes infrastructure focus

Industry leaders have welcomed the Union Budget as balanced and growth-oriented, praising the government for maintaining fiscal discipline while raising infrastructure spending to a record ₹12 lakh crore. Executives say the focus on logistics and long-term investment strengthens India’s growth momentum. Reacting to the Budget, Keshav Bhajanka, Executive Director of Centuryply, described the announcements as “very balanced and well thought through,” noting that the government has focused on creating sustained investment momentum, a move he said is critical for India’s next growth phase...Read More.

'Budget boosts confidence': Real estate leaders applaud push for affordable housing

"The Budget is encouraging for the real estate sector, especially for affordable housing. The government’s focus on building better infrastructure and more homes will help meet the growing demand for housing in cities. Steps like using Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InVITs) will help unlock funds from existing assets and support new housing projects. Increased development in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities will improve connectivity and create more opportunities for homebuyers," Mahesh Agarwal, Managing Director, Purti Realty said. "Support from institutions such as the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NABFID) will make it easier to fund large housing and infrastructure projects. Overall, the Budget boosts confidence for developers and buyers and supports long-term housing growth across India."

'Foundation for sustained sectoral growth...': Harshvardhan Neotia opines on Union Budget after FM announces infrastructure push

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Union Budget for 2026-27 in the Parliament today. She said that spending on infrastructure will hit a new high in the next financial year. The government will spend a record Rs. 12.2 lakh crores in the sector, starting April 1. The new outlay is higher than before. It marks an 8.8 per cent rise over the Rs. 11.21 lakh crore set aside for the current year, which itself was the highest allocation on record...Read More.

Sports sector set for major boost in Budget 2026 as Rs 10,000 crore SME fund announced

India’s sports sector is set for a major overhaul. On Sunday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget for the 2026-27 financial year and unveiled plans to transform India into a world-class sporting nation over the next decade...Read More.

'Faceless, baseless and visionless...,' TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee slams Union Budget 2026

After the Budget presentation by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said that in her 5,100-second speech, the "FM did not mention Bengal even once". "To me, this Budget appears more like the government’s self-appraisal report written by its PR team," he stated...Read More.

Defence budget jumps to ₹7.85 lakh crore for FY27, a 15% hike after Operation Sindoor

The Union government has earmarked ₹7,84,678 crore for defence in 2026–27, a sharp increase from last year’s allocation of ₹6,81,210 crore. The budget is significant as it is the first to be presented by the Finance Minister after Operation Sindoor; India’s precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), carried out in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025.

FM pushes for semiconductors

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Semiconductor Mission is anchored around two key decisions aimed at strengthening India’s technology ecosystem while also addressing intellectual property concerns. She described the ₹40,000 crore electronics components manufacturing scheme as a significant push towards self-reliance in the electronics sector.

What taxpayers need to keep in mind following the Union Budget?

Individuals filing ITR-1 and ITR-2 will continue to have time until July 31 to submit their returns, while non-audit business cases and trusts are proposed to be given an extended deadline of August 31, as outlined in FM Sitharaman’s Budget 2026 speech.

What is the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj initiative? Here's what FM Nirmala Sitharaman had to say about it in the Budget

During the Union Budget 2026 speech, FM Nirmala Sitharaman brought back the "touch of Mahatma Gandhi" with the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj initiative...Read More.

Missed your tax return deadline? Budget 2026 offers a longer window

Sitharaman proposes halving customs duty on personal imports to 10%

Govt pegs fiscal deficit at 4.4% of GDP for FY26

The government has pegged the fiscal deficit for 2025-26 at 4.4% of GDP, a number that will be closely tracked by thick market investors. The figure is seen as a key signal of how committed the Centre remains to trimming its detal 10-GOP 1905 in the 2026-27 financial year, and could influence markel sentiment in the days ahead

What Fconomic Survey 2025-26 says about India's economy minutes ahead of budget

The Indian government on Thursday released the Economic Survey 2025-26. Tabled by the Department of Economic Affairs, the Survey takes stock of how the Indian economy has fared so far this year, while also setting the tone and expectations for the fiscal year ahead.