Economics
Science & Technology
4 min
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 domes...
Economics
Science & Technology
5 min
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 operate...
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 anc...
Economics
Art & Culture
5 min
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 ...
Science & Technology
Economics
5 min
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, covering...
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 ...
Economics
Geography
Science & Technology
5 min
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 elem...
Economics
Environment & Ecology
4 min
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 geop...
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, a...
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 perce...
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 l...
Budget 2026: Centre continues thrust on capex, FY27 target fixed at Rs 12.22 lakh crore
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set the total capital expenditure target for FY27 at Rs 12.2 lakh crore (~$135.6 billion), representing an increase of ap...
Economics
Geography
6 min
Mega connectivity push: Railways, highways continue to be primary drivers, take 47% of capex
Union Budget 2026-27 reinforced the government's multi-year "mega connectivity" programme, with Railways and road highways continuing as the primary drivers ...
Polity & Governance
Social Issues
4 min
No NPR notification yet, but Budget allocates funds. Will NPR, precursor to NRC, be conducted?
The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated ₹6,000 crore for the upcoming Census and the National Population Register (NPR) exercise. No official notification for the...
Environment & Ecology
Geography
6 min
Explained: Why rising water levels threaten Maharashtra’s age-old Lonar lake and nearby structures
Lonar Lake in Buldhana district, Maharashtra — India's only known basaltic meteor impact crater and a Ramsar-designated wetland — faces an unprecedented ecol...
Union Budget 2026 Explained Highlights: Jobs focus; govt to continue capex heavy lifting, measures for taxpayers
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2026, continues and deepens the government's capex-heavy growth str...
Economics
Geography
Science & Technology
5 min
Budget 2026-27: Why the push for Rare Earth Corridors in Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
Union Budget 2026-27 announced the creation of dedicated Rare Earth Corridors in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu — integrated industrial value...
Economics
Polity & Governance
4 min
Union Budget 2026: FM announces panel to review banking sector, move aimed at strengthening banking system
The Union Budget 2026-27 announced the formation of a 'High Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat' to comprehensively review the financial sector and ...
Environment & Ecology
Science & Technology
4 min
Union Budget | Rs 20,000 cr for Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage tech: How it works, and the push for it
The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated Rs 20,000 crore over five years for a dedicated Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) scheme targeting industrial...
Economics
Geography
5 min
In Budget’s capex push, focus on Railways and roads continues: 7 more high-speed rail corridors announced
Union Budget 2026-27 announced seven new high-speed rail corridors connecting major city pairs as "growth connectors," with a total projected investment of R...
Science & Technology
Economics
5 min
Union Budget 2026: What’s in Biopharma SHAKTI scheme announced by FM Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Biopharma SHAKTI scheme in Union Budget 2026-27, with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore over five years. SHAKTI ...
Economics
International Relations
4 min
Union Budget 2026: 4 ways in which it addresses US tariffs’ strain on India
The Union Budget 2026-27 embedded several structural responses to the pressure exerted by US reciprocal tariffs, which had been levied on Indian exports from...
Science & Technology
Economics
5 min
FM Sitharaman announces chip manufacturing scheme 2.0, but will it go beyond fabs?
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 (ISM 2.0) in Budget 2026-27, with an expanded allocation under the Electron...
5 takeaways from the Union Budget 2026-27: Push on creating jobs, easing US tariffs distress, bolstering fund flows
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 on 1 February 2026, with a focus on employment creation, easing the compliance burden ...
Economics
International Relations
5 min
Trump’s steep tariffs are straining India’s textile sector. Does the Budget address this?
US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs — which hit India's textile sector with rates as high as 50% through 2025 — severely strained India's garment ...
Economics
Art & Culture
5 min
Nirmala Sitharaman talks of ‘orange economy’ in Budget speech: What is it, how govt plans to boost it
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned the "orange economy" prominently in her Union Budget 2026-27 speech, signalling a policy push to develop India'...
What does this Budget have for individual taxpayers? STT hike, TCS relief and other key measures
Union Budget 2026-27, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, introduced several changes for individual taxpayers — most notably a Securities Trans...
Economics
Science & Technology
5 min
Rare earths and data centres: India pushes local industry as global tensions rise
India announced a twin-pronged strategic push in Budget 2026-27: accelerating domestic rare earth processing through dedicated corridors, and expanding data ...
Economics
Polity & Governance
Social Issues
5 min
VB-G Ram G gets Rs 95,000-plus crore allocation under Union Budget 2026-27, MGNREGA funds reduced
The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated Rs 95,692 crore to the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), commonly known as VB-G RAM G — th...
Internal Security
Economics
5 min
Op Sindoor effect: Defence capital budget up 22% to 2.19 lakh cr, big boost for aircraft, aero engines
India's Union Budget 2026-27 raised the defence capital outlay by 21.84% to ₹2,19,306 crore, compared to the previous year's budget estimates The overall Min...
Science & Technology
Social Issues
4 min
Nipah Virus: WHO warns of rare but serious infection, rules out transmission to close contacts
In January 2026, India's IHR National Focal Point notified WHO of two confirmed Nipah virus (NiV) infections in West Bengal, with laboratory confirmation fro...
Polity & Governance
Internal Security
6 min
Big Budget boost for Census as govt hikes allocation 6-fold, 50% jump for CAPF infra funds
The Union Budget 2026-27 hiked the allocation for the Census and related exercises to ₹6,000 crore — approximately six times the revised estimate of ₹1,040 c...
Internal Security
Polity & Governance
5 min
10X Budget beef-up for Intelligence Bureau capex, after Pahalgam & Red Fort terror attacks
The Union Budget 2026-27 increased the Intelligence Bureau's (IB) capital expenditure allocation to ₹2,549 crore — a ten-fold increase from the ₹257 crore in...