Budget 2026

Building Boxes in a Storm

A Countercyclical Manufacturing Gambit: India bets ₹100 billion on container production amid global trade flux, eyeing niche value and logistics leverage over volume dominance.

Sharmila Chavaly

February 7, 2026 at 3:51 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

A Quiet Budget Signal That Could Wake India’s Corporate Bond Market

A low-key Budget proposal on total return swaps could transform India’s corporate bond market if regulators align infrastructure, liquidity and risk appetite in time.

Karan Mehrishi

February 5, 2026 at 8:20 AM IST

Budget 2026

STT as Sin Tax, and the Quiet Cost to India’s Markets

The STT hike reads like a sin tax on trading, raising costs, discouraging access, and risking damage to liquidity

Sanjay Mansabdar

February 5, 2026 at 6:16 AM IST

Istock.com

Budget 2026

Budget as Trade Policy: A Practical Roadmap for Global Integration

The Budget links tax, customs, and services reforms to the India–EU FTA, showing how domestic policy is being reshaped to support long-term trade integration.

Students of Madras School of Economics, Chennai

February 4, 2026 at 3:41 PM IST

PIB

Budget 2026

Budget Promised Customs Overhaul, Delivered Repackaging

The Budget 2026 has delivered an extension of old reforms, reflecting a propensity for cautious and incremental change.

Reform Compass

February 4, 2026 at 2:48 PM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Incremental Ambition in an Age Demanding Structural Reset

Budget shows discipline and selective ambition, but sidesteps pricing reform, social protection and the federal reset India needs for resilience.

Arvind Mayaram

February 4, 2026 at 4:43 AM IST

PIB

Budget 2026

Budget for Industry: Control and Command

From microwave parts to shoe uppers, the Budget signals selective interventionism—favouring item-level tweaks over broad industrial reform.

Sharmila Kantha

February 2, 2026 at 11:56 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Does the Market Reaction Mean the Budget Was a Big Disappointment?

Despite a sharp post-Budget market fall, the government stayed fiscally prudent, raised capex targets, and stuck to deficit goals—signals markets may soon reassess.

Chokkalingam G

February 2, 2026 at 5:07 AM IST

Amey Bane/iStockphoto.com

Budget 2026

Self-Interest, Sentiment, and the Fine Print

STT hike stole headlines, but Budget 2026’s real story lies in quiet reforms, capital focus, and a deeper push for trust-based execution and implementation tracking.

Vijay Chauhan

February 2, 2026 at 3:51 AM IST

PIB

Budget 2026

A Chain-Linked Budget

A continuity-driven Union Budget balances fiscal discipline with growth ambition, signalling policy stability while preparing the ground for private investment revival.

Yuvika Singhal

February 1, 2026 at 3:42 PM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

A Fiscally Prudent and Reform-Oriented Budget

A fiscally cautious Union Budget stays the reform course, prioritising capital spending and stability while laying foundations for medium-term growth.

N R Bhanumurthy

February 1, 2026 at 3:22 PM IST

PIB

Budget 2026

Govt for High Level Banking Panel, The Real Question Is Why Now

When a system is stable, profitable, and already reforming, a new committee raises more questions than it answers.

Mint Owl

February 1, 2026 at 2:42 PM IST

The Department of Financial Services

Budget 2026

Budget Arithmetic Leaves Bonds on Edge

India’s 2026–27 fiscal arithmetic offered little comfort to bond investors, with higher borrowing, sticky interest costs and no clear backstop for supply pressures.

Yield Scribe

February 1, 2026 at 2:02 PM IST

RBI

Budget 2026

India Budget Not Much of a Surprise

A debt-led fiscal anchor, steady capex push and cautious tax math left Budget 2026-27 predictable, credible and largely devoid of surprises.

Madhavi Arora

February 1, 2026 at 1:43 PM IST

Budget 2026

India’s Budget Settled for Stability, Not Momentum

The Budget favoured consolidation over stimulus, leaving growth to fend for itself as demand softens and earnings momentum fades.

Dhananjay Sinha

February 1, 2026 at 12:26 PM IST

Finance Ministry

Budget 2026

India’s Defence Budget: From Readiness To Endurance

India’s Defence Budget shifted the focus from short-term readiness to endurance, lifting capital spend to prepare for conflicts ahead!

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)

February 1, 2026 at 12:26 PM IST

Istock.com

Budget 2026

India’s Deficit Promise Was Kept by Cutting Where It Hurts

The Centre met its deficit promise not through revenue strength, but by cutting transfers and development spend, shifting stress to states.

Rajesh Mahapatra

February 1, 2026 at 11:53 AM IST

File Photo

Budget 2026

Buyback Tax Hike Signals Government’s Capex-or-Consequences Stand

New buyback tax regime is less about revenue and more about discipline. Promoters are being nudged to deploy surplus cash into capacity expansion rather than extract it, just as the state ramps up public investment.

Krishnadevan V

February 1, 2026 at 11:10 AM IST

Via WikiCommons

Budget 2026

Budget 2026–27: RBI Surplus, PSU financial Dividends Seen Tad Higher

BasisPoint Insight

February 1, 2026 at 11:02 AM IST

Budget 2026

India Lowers Import Barriers Where It Matters Most

India’s Budget, though country-neutral, improves market access prospects for US exporters across several high-value sectors.

Ajay Srivastava

February 1, 2026 at 10:14 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

India budget leaves sovereign credit profile broadly unchanged: Moody’s

BasisPoint Insight

February 1, 2026 at 10:03 AM IST

Budget 2026

Coconuts, Birdwatching and the Lost Art of a Free Sunday

A Budget rich in coconuts, corridors and birdwatching trails, but thin on demand. A long Sunday spent tracking schemes instead of birds.

Kalyan Ram

February 1, 2026 at 9:44 AM IST

Budget 2026

Bond Market Faces Supply Shock As Budget Disappointed

BasisPoint Insight

February 1, 2026 at 9:28 AM IST

Budget 2026

Highlights of Union Budget For 2026-27

BasisPoint Insight

February 1, 2026 at 9:12 AM IST

Budget 2026

Budget 2026–27: How the Rupee Comes and Goes Signals Continuity

A close of How the Rupee Comes and Goes at the Union Budget 2026–27 reveals stability, with modest shifts in direct taxes, steady borrowing, and a gradual tilt towards defence and centrally run schemes rather than abrupt fiscal change.

BasisPoint Insight

February 1, 2026 at 8:58 AM IST

Istock.com

Budget 2026

Budget 2026: Govt Tamps Down On F&O With Hike in STT

BasisPoint Insight

February 1, 2026 at 8:51 AM IST

Budget 2026

What to Look for in India’s Defence Budget: Beyond Headline Numbers

As India finalises its defence expenditure as part of the annual Budget exercise, the real issue is not the size of the allocation but what it signals about preparedness for conflicts that may extend beyond short, controlled crises.

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)

January 31, 2026 at 8:56 AM IST

iStock.com/Pavliha

Budget 2026

Why has the Government’s Disinvestment Programme Slowed Down

Despite bold targets and early momentum, India’s disinvestment drive has stalled, as political caution, PSU profitability and a hesitant private sector prompt the government to hold on to strategic assets

Rajesh Mahapatra

January 31, 2026 at 8:30 AM IST

Finance Ministry

Budget 2026

Fiscal Federalism, Transfers, and the Case for an Independent Anchor

With discretionary transfers growing and predictability eroding, India’s fiscal federal system needs an independent anchor to restore trust and stability.

Arvind Mayaram

January 31, 2026 at 4:14 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Beyond the "Paracetamol" of PLI: How the Budget Can Rewrite India's Manufacturing Story

India needs structural reforms, not subsidies. This Budget must tackle energy, logistics, credit and the rupee to revive manufacturing.

Ajay Shankar

January 30, 2026 at 8:51 AM IST

stock

Budget 2026

What the Union Budget 2026 Can—and Should Not—Do for AI

The Budget cannot outspend Big Tech on compute, but it can shape demand, lower adoption barriers, and steer public spending toward areas where India can build real AI capability.

Kunal Tyagi

January 30, 2026 at 6:03 AM IST

Istock.com

Budget 2026

Why Govt Should Hike Customs Duty on Gold, Vegetable Oils

India’s surging gold and edible oil imports are widening the trade deficit, pressuring the rupee and hurting farmers, making a strong case for restoring higher import duties.

G. Chandrashekhar

January 29, 2026 at 7:04 AM IST

iStock.com/D. Talukdar

Budget 2026

India’s Green Bond Story: Why the Budget Matters More Than Ever

India’s green bond market is testing pricing limits. With demand proving fragile, the Budget’s role in creating incentives and deepening investor participation will determine whether green finance scales beyond symbolism.

Venkatakrishnan Srinivasan

January 28, 2026 at 9:42 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

A Tightrope Walk Between Political Compulsions and Economic Imperatives

Budget 2026 walks a tightrope between election-year pressures and economic discipline, juggling jobs, rural distress and middle-class relief without undermining fiscal credibility.

Amitabh Tiwari

January 28, 2026 at 8:59 AM IST

@narendramodi

Budget 2026

Why Carbon Markets Are Failing the World’s Farmers and What Budget Can Do About It

Despite rapid growth, carbon markets exclude smallholder farmers by design. Budget 2026 can fix this by funding public MRV, institutional aggregation, and risk sharing.

Arvind Mayaram

January 28, 2026 at 5:59 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Time for an Economic Reset

As India prepares Budget 2026, the focus shifts to fiscal discipline, debt anchoring, federal realignment, and trade reform to reset growth on a sustainable path.

Shubhada Rao, Vivek Kumar, and Yuvika Singhal

January 28, 2026 at 5:50 AM IST

Finance Ministry

Budget 2026

When Governments Choose What’s Safest to Defend

Governments favour policies that can be measured and defended over commitments that demand belief. Visibility beats credibility when political risk outweighs growth ambition.

Kirti Tarang Pande

January 24, 2026 at 8:06 AM IST

Finance Ministry

Opinion

Budget Unlikely to Offer any Succour to Capital Markets

Despite a ₹50-trillion market-cap wipeout, fiscal constraints, weak tax buoyancy and currency pressures leave little room for the Budget 2026 to offer direct relief to capital markets.

Chokkalingam G

January 24, 2026 at 6:38 AM IST

iStock.com

Opinion

The Budget Through a Political Lens

With key elections due in states considered difficult terrain for the ruling BJP, the Budget could double as a political opportunity.

Rajesh Ramachandran

January 23, 2026 at 12:15 PM IST

@narendramodi

Budget 2026

Transforming India's Grid for a Renewable Future

India’s renewable push is running ahead of grid readiness. As variability strains stability, the Budget must pivot from capacity addition to firm power, storage and grid modernisation to secure reliable, clean energy growth.

Sharmila Chavaly

January 23, 2026 at 10:14 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Why the Budget Should Support Development Goals

Beyond headline numbers, this Budget must align fiscal discipline with productivity, inclusion and institutional reform to sustain growth and realise Viksit Bharat.

Ashima Goyal

January 23, 2026 at 6:04 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Elusive Investments, Silent Disinvestments: Budget's Real Test

India’s growth narrative is being propped up by public spending while private investment and disinvestment quietly retreat. Budget 2026 must choose political courage over fiscal politeness if the demographic dividend is to be saved.

Srinath Sridharan

January 23, 2026 at 5:57 AM IST

PIB

Budget 2026

Net-Zero or Clean Air? India’s Climate Challenge Is About Timing, Not Tradeoffs

India’s climate dilemma isn’t net-zero versus clean air. The real challenge is aligning capital, policy and timing to deliver health gains now and decarbonisation later.

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal*

January 23, 2026 at 5:11 AM IST

Istock.com

Budget 2026

Budget Must Treat Critical Minerals as Economic and Security Assets

India’s growth and security now depend on critical minerals. This Budget must move past intent and set out how the country plans to secure supply.

G. Chandrashekhar

January 23, 2026 at 5:01 AM IST

istock.com

Budget 2026

Will the Budget Truly Reignite Industry Confidence?

As policy signals increasingly emerge outside the Budget, industry awaits clarity on investment, manufacturing, exports and long-term growth.

Sharmila Kantha

January 22, 2026 at 2:18 PM IST

istock.com

Budget 2026

When Private Credit Becomes India’s Financial Morphine

Private credit is emerging as India’s fast-growing financial instrument at a time when global equity capital is cautious, and exits are under sharper scrutiny.

Srinath Sridharan

January 22, 2026 at 7:52 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

PSB Mergers: Bigger Balance Sheets, But Not Quite Better Banks

India’s PSB mergers created scale and stability, but five years on, credit growth, competition, and inclusion suggest consolidation alone cannot deliver global champions.

K. Srinivasa Rao

January 22, 2026 at 7:07 AM IST

iStock.com/lakshmiprasad S

Budget 2026

From Fiscal Arithmetic to Economic Statecraft

The Budget must move beyond fiscal math to economic statecraft, strengthening institutions to manage volatility, competitiveness, climate transition and social risk.

Arvind Mayaram

January 22, 2026 at 3:17 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Budget Must Rescue Indian Agriculture From Drift and Denial

India’s farm crisis needs more than MSPs and subsidies. Budget 2026 must pivot to outcomes, technology and accountability, or risk surrendering food security and farmer incomes.

G. Chandrashekhar

January 21, 2026 at 12:09 PM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

How Federal Drift Is Starving Strategic Priorities

As the Centre expands into state subjects, defence, R&D and strategic autonomy suffer. India’s budget problem is not size, but misplaced priorities.

TK Arun

January 21, 2026 at 8:15 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Copying the iPhone Model Will Fail Auto Component Manufacturing

India’s iPhone export success tempts copycat policy, but auto components need standards, engineering depth, and integration, not anchor clients

Krishnadevan V

January 21, 2026 at 5:29 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

AMFI Pushes Separate ELSS Tax Breaks and Long-Term Equity Relief

AMFI has urged the government to introduce a separate tax deduction for ELSS under the new regime and rationalise long-term capital gains taxation on equities, arguing the measures would deepen retail participation and encourage longer-term household savings.

BasisPoint Insight

January 20, 2026 at 12:47 PM IST

Mutual Funds Sahi Hai Campaign

Budget 2026

India’s Bond Market Will Test the RBI in 2026-27

Nearly ₹30 trillion in bond supply and fragile demand mean yields will remain high in 2026–27 unless the RBI steps in as the buyer of last resort.

Yield Scribe

January 20, 2026 at 7:02 AM IST

Finance Ministry

Budget 2026

India’s External Strength Masks a Growing Vulnerability Problem

Strong reserves give India comfort today, but frequent geopolitical and tech shocks risk steadily eroding its external resilience.

Abheek Barua

January 20, 2026 at 6:31 AM IST

Screengrab from "RBI Unlocked: Beyond the Rupee" series (JioHotstar)

Budget 2026

Why the Budget Must Focus on the Next Mile

As fiscal stimulus tapers, the government must shift focus from headline growth to private investment, jobs and long-term economic quality.

Vijay Chauhan

January 20, 2026 at 6:06 AM IST

PIB

Budget 2026

State Finances are India’s New Macroeconomic Frontier

India’s fiscal story can no longer be read through the Union Budget alone. State borrowing and spending now shape growth, interest rates and macroeconomic stability.

Duvvuri Subbarao

January 20, 2026 at 3:30 AM IST

Budget 2026

India’s Growth Moment: Cyclical Strength, Structural Test

India’s post-pandemic growth has leaned on supply-side reforms, public capex and upper-income demand, while private investment stays uneven. Budget 2026 will decide if growth turns durable and private-led, or remains state-driven.

Srinath Sridharan

January 19, 2026 at 8:50 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Union Budget as the Catalyst for Climate Finance

By using guarantees, blended finance and smarter risk metrics, public money could crowd in private capital and turn climate ambition into bankable projects.

Sharmila Chavaly

January 19, 2026 at 7:31 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

A Budget for Capital Formation, Not Just Fiscal Bookkeeping

India’s real budget challenge isn’t deficit maths but mobilising patient capital, deep savings and long-term risk-taking in a capital-scarce economy.

R. Gurumurthy

January 19, 2026 at 6:42 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Don’t Miss the Window to Overhaul Tariffs and Customs to Boost Trade

None of the reforms will succeed in isolation. Implemented together, they could lower trade costs, attract investment and position customs as a facilitator rather than a bottleneck. But the policy window is narrow.

Ajay Srivastava

January 18, 2026 at 4:05 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Budget’s Bond Test Lies in Solving the States’ Borrowing Problem

With ₹30.5 trillion of bond supply looming, would it make more sense for the federal government to borrow on behalf of states?

Yield Scribe

January 17, 2026 at 8:26 AM IST

istock

Budget 2026

When Credit Scores Gatekeep, India Must Regulate Bureaus As Utilities

Once neutral data pipes, credit bureaus now decide who gets to borrow, build or belong. India must regulate them as public utilities before exclusion hardens.

R. Gurumurthy

January 16, 2026 at 9:26 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026

Why India’s Cities Are Failing the Growth Story

India’s growth has turned decisively urban, but the financial foundations of its cities remain weak. Unless municipal finance, land monetisation and city-level balance sheets are fixed, urban India will become the binding constraint in the next phase of growth.

Srinath Sridharan

January 14, 2026 at 6:52 AM IST

iStock.com

Budget 2026 and the Fragile Math of Corporate Legacy

India’s first-gen unicorns have scaled Maslow’s pyramid. The harder test comes now: can they metabolize growth into legacy?

Kirti Tarang Pande

January 11, 2026 at 11:45 AM IST

iStock.com/amlanmathur

Are Tariffs the Termites in the Customs House?

India’s complex structure of tariffs has been compounded by FTAs deeply impacting domestic manufacturing - breeding discretion and incentivising evasion.

Reform Compass

December 23, 2025 at 8:13 AM IST

iStock.com

The Bureau

PFC to Merge REC with Itself, exit PTC India to create mega power NBFC

RBI Raises Inflation Projections Marginally for Apr-Sep; Defers FY27 Forecast to April

RBI Raises GDP Growth Projections for Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep by 20 bps; Defers FY27 Outlook

Malhotra Signals Rates to Stay Low for Prolonger Period, Leaves Further Cuts to MPC

RBI Flags Tighter Consumer Protection Push Amid Rising Digital Frauds

RBI Signals Proactive Liquidity Management to Support Transmission

RBI Holds Rates, Signals Comfort With Growth–Inflation Mix

Services Exports, Remittances Seen Keeping India’s CAD Sustainable in 2025-26: RBI

India-US Trade Deal: What Happens Next?

Learning to Shoot: I Tried to Fly Before I Could Walk