The government's extension of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) beyond its initial tenure is set to enhance air connectivity to smaller cities. The modified UDAN scheme will connect 120 new destinations, adding 40 million passengers over the next decade, reflecting a significant shift in India's aviation landscape.

India is set to boost its shipbuilding industry with the announcement of a 25,000-crore Maritime Development Fund and development of new shipbuilding clusters. Additionally, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has extended customs duty exemptions on shipbuilding materials and expanded the tonnage tax scheme to include inland vessels.

The Railways aims to more than double its net earnings to 3,041.3 crore in 2025-26, driven by enhanced revenue from passenger, freight operations, and no growth in government capital expenditure. The budget includes manufacturing 100 new Amrit Bharat trains, 50 Namo Bharat trains, and 200 Vande Bharats. Revenue receipts are projected to exceed 3 lakh crore for the first time.

The Centre has increased the FDI limit in insurance to 100%, from 74%, attracting more capital and boosting the sectors financial strength. Insurers must invest policyholder premiums within India, aiming for 'Insurance for All' by 2047. The move seeks to improve insurance penetration and bring global best practices to India.

The budget aims to simplify determining arm's length pricing in related-party transactions and extend safe harbour rules, offering certainty and reducing disputes in transfer pricing. Experts believe these measures will decrease compliance burdens and administrative loads, although it remains to be seen if tax scrutiny will become more focused.

The government's exemption of basic customs duty on materials needed for lithium-ion batteries aims to lower EV production costs, encouraging a local manufacturing ecosystem. This move will reduce dependence on imports and benefit the Indian EV industry, making electric vehicles more affordable and accessible while fostering technological advancements and job creation.

The government's amendment to the Finance Bill 2025 overrides the Supreme Court's 2024 ruling and disallows input tax credit on the construction of leased commercial properties, effective July 1, 2017. This move is aimed at preventing revenue loss but reinstates the original restriction on ITC for immovable property construction.

The bold budget focuses on enhancing growth through agriculture, MSMEs, investments, and exports. It emphasizes fiscal responsibility, infrastructure development, and inclusive policies to boost productivity and employment. Reforms in tax brackets, regulatory support, and financial sector liberalization aim to strengthen India's global competitiveness and economic stability.

Premium motorcycles from brands like Harley-Davidson, Triumph, and Suzuki will become cheaper in India due to the government's decision to reduce basic customs duties by 5-20%. This move addresses a long-standing demand from the US, highlighted by Donald Trump, who had criticized India's tariff policies, especially regarding Harley-Davidson's imports.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, featuring Japanese Shinkansen technology, aims to reduce travel time to two hours. Construction is advancing, with 255 km of viaducts complete and rail laying underway. L&T helms major works, targeting completion by December 2025. The Rs 1.08 trillion project is anticipated to drive significant economic growth and urban development.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated OPD services at Pragjyotishpur Medical College and launched the HRMS software for Assam's medical college employees. He emphasized Assam's strides in healthcare, inaugurating its 14th medical college and outlining plans for more. He also highlighted the launch of a massive cancer screening programme for 1 crore people.

The ICAI lauded the Budget for focusing on ease of doing business, promoting domestic manufacturing, and positioning India competitively in global trade. ICAI's recommendations on tax regimes have been accepted. The Budget features significant income tax cuts for the middle class and a scheme to develop India as a global toy hub through cluster development, supporting MSMEs and manufacturing.

Aviation safety regulator DGCA has fined Tata Group-owned Air India Rs 30 lakh for allowing a pilot to operate a flight without meeting necessary regulatory requirements. The penalty resulted from repeated rostering issues and an unsatisfactory response to a show-cause notice concerning violations involving mandatory recency requirements for pilots.

Budget 2025: Increase in TDS threshold from Rs 2.4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh under section 194-I. Do note this is relevant for persons other than individuals and Hindu Undivided Family (HUF). If the rental amount is Rs 50,000 or more then you need to pay TDS on rent. Read below to know more.

Budget 2025: No Section 87A tax rebate on special rate incomes like short term capital gains, long term capital gains, and others, said Budget 2025. Experts say Section 87A tax rebate on special rate income is only available in the old tax regime and not in the new tax regime. Read below to know more about Section 87A tax rebate.

Boosting India's tourism, the Budget 2025-26 plans to develop 50 prime destinations in partnership with states. Emphasis on medical and wellness tourism, simplified visa processes, enhanced connectivity, and skill development aims to position India as a global tourist hub, fostering economic growth and job creation. Strategic investments encourage spiritual, medical, and cultural tourism.

The budget prioritizes education, skilling, and innovation, emphasizing school education reform, IIT and medical college expansion, and world-class skilling centers. Key proposals include 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools, broadband for rural areas, a Bharatiya Bhasha Scheme for digital books, and Rs 500 crore for AI centers in education.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Maritime Development Fund with a corpus of Rs 25,000 crore to support the maritime industry. By 2030, this fund aims to generate up to Rs 1.5 lakh crore investment. Additionally, customs duty exemption and revamped Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy will promote domestic shipbuilding and international trade.

Budget 2025: ULIPs to which exemption under clause (10D) of section 10 does not apply, is a capital asset and any profit and gains from the redemption of ULIPs to which exemption under clause (10D) of section 10 does not apply, will be charged to tax as capital gains, clarified Budget 2025. Read below to know more about Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs).

With a promise to further simplify the current tax law by introducing a new Income-tax Bill next week, the taxpayer-friendly Budget included key changes in personal taxation designed to simplify compliance, modernise tax administration, and stimulate economic growth. The government continues to incentivise the new tax regime, making no changes to the existing income tax slabs under the old tax regime for individual taxpayers.

The Union Budget 2025-26 includes tax incentives for GIFT City's IFSC, aiming to attract international investors and businesses. The extensions of tax concessions and regulatory simplifications are expected to boost real estate demand, enhancing GIFT City's potential as a global financial hub.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocated Rs 2.55 lakh crore for Indian Railways in the 2025-26 budget, which is slightly less than the previous year's allocation. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted plans for 100 new Amrit Bharat trains, 50 Namo Bharat trains, and 200 Vande Bharat trains while emphasizing network expansion and safety improvements.

Union Budget 2025: Indias Budget removes customs duty on scrap from 12 critical minerals, cobalt powder, and lithium-ion battery scrap to boost the recycling industry. This reduction aims to lower costs for domestic producers, enhance global competitiveness, and increase exports. It will support manufacturing, create jobs, and promote domestic processing of critical minerals.

Edelweiss Mutual Fund CEO Radhika Gupta highlighted market volatility, midcap losses, and global uncertainty, while praising the Budget 2025 tax cut. She emphasized its focus on boosting consumption by increasing the tax exemption limit from Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 12 lakh.

Income tax relief in 2025: The finance minister has announced an increase in the tax rebate under Section 87A to Rs 60,000 from Rs 25,000 under new tax regime currently. The change in rates and slabs will benefit all such assessees who opt for the new tax regime in the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2025, announcing measures to promote electric mobility and green technology. The budget includes exemptions on customs duties for critical minerals like cobalt powder and lithium-ion battery waste, aiming to boost domestic manufacturing and support India's transition to a sustainable future.

The Union Budget 2025 aims to provide income tax benefits, increased disposable income, and support for farmers, rural women, and youth. These measures are expected to boost the FMCG sector, and the establishment of a National Institute of Food Technology in Bihar supports food processing companies. Stocks in FMCG saw significant gains following these announcements.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement to raise the threshold for tax collected at source (TCS) on remittances under RBIs Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS) from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh is expected to reduce the upfront tax burden for investors. Experts say this move supports international fund investments, offering geographic diversification and a hedge against currency fluctuations.

Budget 2025 reduces import duty on jewellery from 25% to 20%, making luxury and unbranded imports cheaper. This benefits India's growing demand for branded jewellery. Gold jewellery imports rose 87.4% in 2024. The budget also eases lab-grown diamond imports and cuts platinum findings duty from 25% to 5%. Tax reforms boosting disposable income may further drive jewellery demand.

The government plans to boost investment by nine state-owned power firms by nearly 21% to Rs 86,138.48 crore for 2025-26. Key investments include NTPC, which will rise to Rs 26,000 crore, and Power Grid Corp, increasing to Rs 25,000 crore. The Ministry of Power's budget is also set to increase.

Budget 2025: Now the Income Tax Department will not prosecute taxpayers who failed to deposit the collected TCS if the taxpayers pays the TCS amount before filing the TCS return. It is proposed to amend section 276BB of the Act to provide that the prosecution shall not be instituted against a person covered under the said section.

India budget: Tariff reductions on key electronics components will enhance domestic manufacturing, expedite localization, and potentially reduce mobile phone prices. Exempting and rationalizing basic customs duties on various inputs will increase competitiveness and support deeper integration with global value chains. The budget also raises duties on interactive flat panel displays and addresses the inverted duty structure, boosting local production and employment.

Realtors' apex bodies CREDAI and NAREDCO have hailed the Union Budget's move to establish a Rs 15,000 crore fund to complete stalled housing projects, while calling for greater support for affordable housing. They emphasize the need for higher home loan interest exemptions and redefining affordable housing standards to boost the sector.

Budget 2025 extends the window for filing updated ITRs to 48 months with increased penalties. Additional taxes of 60% apply if filed after 24 months, and 70% if filed after 36 months from the assessment year end. This aims to report omitted incomes while imposing higher penalties for delayed submissions.

Budget 2025-26: Indias tourism gets a major boost! Visa reforms, homestay loans & destination upgrades announced

The budget aims to boost urban consumption by increasing the disposable income of the middle class through significant tax relief measures. Consumer goods companies anticipate higher demand as disposable incomes rise, benefiting from the enhanced focus on middle class and rural development.

With the Finance Minister announcing the tax relief of up to 12 lakh under the new tax regime, the market experts said that this measure leaves more money in the hands of people which in turn could boost broking, AMCs as investments could increase with higher disposable income, which should go back to the economy.

Budget 2025: Now more employees are eligible for tax free perquisite for any expenditure incurred by the employer for travel outside India on the medical treatment of an employee or any member of the employees family. The current qualifying limit is Rs 2 lakh gross total income of employee. This value will be increased by the government soon.

Income Tax Calculation as Per New Tax Regime: Read this EY analysis on how much additional tax savings a salaried employee will have from proposed new income tax slabs under the new tax regime. It is assumed that he/she claims a standard deduction of Rs 75,000 under the new tax regime

An expert advises investors to reassess their asset allocation strategies amid market volatility and macroeconomic uncertainties. Instead of reacting impulsively to budget announcements, they should align investments with long-term goals and risk tolerance. A disciplined approach can help navigate short-term fluctuations while ensuring financial stability and growth in an unpredictable economic environment.

Tata Motors reported a 7% decline in total vehicle dispatches for January, with 80,304 units dispatched compared to 86,125 units the previous year. Domestic sales also saw a decrease of 7% year-on-year, while commercial vehicle sales remained relatively stable. Passenger vehicle dispatches dropped 11% year-on-year to 48,316 units last month.

Budget 2025 proposes raising the TDS threshold on interest earned from fixed deposits by non-senior citizens from Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per annum, effective April 1, 2025. TDS is deducted by banks on interest exceeding specified limits, with current rules imposing a 10% rate if PAN is available and 20% if not.

Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum shares dropped 2-4% as the budget failed to provide the expected compensation for selling LPG below market rates. These companies faced significant losses due to this pricing, and the allocated subsidies for gas consumption were lower than anticipated.

Budget 2025: Customs tariff under first schedule to the customs tariff act, 1975 has been reduced to 20% on HSN code 7113 (jewellery and parts thereof). Experts say this will bost jewellery consumption in India. The customs tariff on Platinum Findings has been reduced to 5% from earlier 25%. Read below to know more.

The new tax regime allows a salaried individual to claim a standard deduction of Rs 75,000 from the salary income. There is no hike in the standard deduction limit in the Budget 2025.

The Union Budget 2025-26 proposals allow taxpayers to claim the annual value of two self-occupied properties as nil and increase the TDS limit on rent to Rs 6 lakh. These measures are expected to boost investments in India's real estate markets, enhance homebuying and rental investments, and improve urban infrastructure development with the Urban Challenge Fund.

Budget 2025: Now the Finance Minister has removed the aggregate threshold limit of Rs 10,000 for deducting TDS on Winnings from lottery or crossword puzzles and winnings from horse races and now it will apply in respect of a single transaction over Rs 10,000. Read below to know more about TDS on lottery, horse racing and crossword puzzle income.

With the proposal to reduce the basic customs duty on carrier-grade Ethernet switches to 10%, costs for home and rural broadband expansions, and data centre buildouts by companies like Reliance Jio and Google could decrease. This could particularly benefit BharatNets rural broadband efforts, potentially making last mile connectivity more affordable.

In her Union Budget 2025 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced significant reductions in import duties for essential mobile phone components and critical materials like lithium-ion battery scrap. These measures aim to support local manufacturing, lower product prices, and position India as a major player in the global electronics market. Key initiatives also focus on boosting the electric vehicle (EV) sector and semiconductor manufacturing, underlining the countrys growing role i