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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's third Budget performed a delicate task of prioritisation: meeting additional spending burdens while staying on the previously announced path of fiscal consolidation. Jaitley kept infrastructure spending elevated while also addressing the slowdown in the rural economy; yet his estimates of increases in tax revenue were generally agreed to be reasonable, with the additional revenue coming from non-tax sources including disinvestment and spectrum auction receipts. This fiscal discipline will have increased pressure on the Reserve Bank of India to cut rates and spark an investment and growth recovery. ALSO READ:  Budget in 2 minutes                          Budget Nuts & Bolts THE KEY ISSUES CORPORATION TAX Option for New manufacturing firms to be taxed at 25%; one-time dispute resolution for retro tax PROVIDENT FUND Future deposits to be taxable in part when withdrawn Show full article Read more from our special coverage on "  Un

Noida-based Ringing Bells, which has promised to sell smartphones for Rs 251 apiece, has started refunding money to customers due to negative speculation around its claim. “There was a lot of negativity around us so we have decided to take money from customers only after delivering phones to them. We are refunding money to those who have paid for booking the phones and giving them an option of cash on delivery," Ringing Bells Director Mohit Goel said. Show full article Read more from our special coverage on "  Union Budget 2016 " Live Blog: FM Jaitley to present Union Budget 2016 Live: Union Budget to set the tone for markets Exclusive Photos on India Union Budget 2016

KEY HIGHLIGHTS -- GDP growth at 7.6% despite slowdown in global economy from 3.4% to 3.1%. CPI inflation down to 5.4% -- CAD from $18.4 billion in first half of last year to $14.4 billion this year -- To double income of farmers by 2022, sets aside Rs 35,984 crore for the purpose; to bring 28.5 lakh hectare under irrigation at a cost of Rs 17,000 crore -- Only 46% of 141 hectares of net cultivable area is irrigated, target to bring 28.5 lakh ha under irrgation, at Rs 17,000 cr next year Show full article Read more from our special coverage on "  Union Budget 2016 " Live Blog: FM Jaitley to present Union Budget 2016 Live: Union Budget to set the tone for markets Exclusive Photos on India Union Budget 2016

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled a Budget for the poor on Monday, announcing new rural aid and health programmes in a strategy shift that could boost his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in coming state elections. Presenting his third Budget, Jaitley described Asia's third-largest economy as a bright spot in a gloomy global landscape but said the government wanted to ensure that the benefits of growth are more widely shared among India's 1.3 billion people. Show full article Read more from our special coverage on "  Union Budget 2016 " Live Blog: FM Jaitley to present Union Budget 2016 Live: Union Budget to set the tone for markets Exclusive Photos on India Union Budget 2016

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is set to present India's national budget for the next fiscal on Monday amid worries over the country's stagnating growth rate, government finances and direction of reforms. Will his proposals ease the fiscal burden of average citizens, notably individual tax payers, as also of the corporate sector is the question that comes to the forefront. Show full article Read more from our special coverage on " Budget 2016 " Budget 2016 News Live Blog: FM Jaitley to present Union Budget 2016 Live: Union Budget to set the tone for markets Exclusive Photos on India Union Budget 2016

Budget  2016 countdown has begun and all eyes are yet again on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley with many more expectations. One of the major announcements to lookout for will be a possible revision of the  tax  slabs whereby tax exemption limits will be raised from Rs 2.5 lakhs currently to Rs 3 lakhs. The Economic Survey 2016 released on Friday has already suggested that tax exemption thresholds should not be raised but more measures should be taken to widen the tax net and end subsidies for the well-off. Below is the list of 5 expectations from the common man.  Show full article Read more from our special coverage on " Budget 2016 " Budget 2016 News Live Blog: FM Jaitley to present Union Budget 2016 Live: Union Budget to set the tone for markets Exclusive Photos on India Union Budget 2016 Business Standard News

To shed the "anti farmer" and "pro-industrialist" image of the central government, the ruling BJP has decided to reach out to farmers through four rallies to be addressed by Prime Minister Naredra Modi. The " Kisan Mahasammelan " rallies -- in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh -- will be held before presentation of the General Budget in the upcoming session of parliament. Show full article Read more from our special coverage on " Budget 2016 " Budget 2016 News Exclusive Photos on India Union Budget 2016 Budget Ask The Expert Economic Survey: No great expectations Madhya Pradesh imposes entry tax on online retail trading