BUSINESS
FM Sitharaman's ninth Budget in nine charts
Capex is set to rise by double digits for yet another year, as defence, science take centre stage
BUSINESS
Space, telecom and science see capex boost in FY27; steel, atomic energy and petroleum face sharp cuts
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has seen a sixfold increase in capex to Rs 20,085 crore in FY27, compared with just Rs 3,083 crore in FY26 (RE)
BUSINESS
Sensex posts worst Budget-day fall in 6 years
The benchmark Sensex fell 2% on Budget day, closing at 80,722.94
BUSINESS
Defence Budget gets a double digit boost to Rs 5.9 lakh crore post Operation Sindoor
Over the past decade, the defence Budget has nearly doubled, reflecting a steady push towards modernisation, indigenisation and higher operational readiness
BUSINESS
Finance Minister sets Debt to GDP ratio for FY27 at 55.6 percent in Budget
India’s debt to GDP ratio was below 50 percent in FY19, but rose to 51.9 percent in FY20 and further to 62 percent during the pandemic
BUSINESS
FM Sitharaman increases India’s capex to Rs 12.2 lakh crore in FY27 Budget
The Budget estimate is broadly in line with the Moneycontrol poll of 20 economists, which had projected nominal GDP growth of 10.1 percent and capital spending of Rs 12 lakh crore in the coming fiscal
BUSINESS
GST collections at 3-month high of Rs 1.93 lakh crore, up 6.2% in January
Domestic transactions accounted for Rs 1.41 lakh crore, up 4.8 percent
BUSINESS
What the Economic Survey reveals about the Budget’s direction
The Survey outlines a tiered framework that distinguishes between high-urgency sectors requiring rapid domestic scale-up—such as fertiliser inputs, APIs, power electronics and telecom equipment—and strategic core areas like battery cells, magnets and solar wafers, where vulnerability reduction rather than full substitution is the objective
ECONOMY
Southern states gain heft in urban CPI as UP’s share declines in revised inflation basket
Shift in weights reflects faster urbanisation and consumption growth in the South
ECONOMY
AirPods, pet food, sanitisers enter CPI basket as India updates inflation gauge
Revised CPI series expands to 358 items, reflects shift toward services, digital goods and lifestyle spending
BUSINESS
Food weight drops below 40%, rural share rises to 55% in new CPI series
The weight of food and beverages in the headline index will decline sharply to 36.8 percent from 45.9 percent in the current 2012-based series
BUSINESS
Inflation likely just 20–30 bps higher under new CPI weights; food's share in CPI to fall below 40%: SBI
A key change in the new CPI series is a sharp reduction in the weight of food and beverages to 36.75 percent from 45.86 percent in the current 2012-based series
BUSINESS
From growth, inflation to urbanisation: Economic Survey in five charts
The Economic Survey prepared by the CEA has pegged India’s growth between 6.8 and 7.2 percent for FY27 higher than IMF estimate of 6.4 percent and World Bank’s projection of 6.5 percent
BUSINESS
Number of QCOs has tripled since 2019, but practical implementation is key: Economic Survey
The Survey cautioned that design and execution are also important, particularly given the structure of India’s industrial ecosystem
BUSINESS
Economic Survey shows the way to power India’s concert economy
International evidence shows that live concerts generate economic value far beyond ticket sales, the Survey said
ECONOMY
India's December quarter growth pegged at 7% by government nowcast model: Economic Survey
The GDP nowcast is in line with the RBI projection of 7% growth for Q3
BUSINESS
Why the government dropped MGNREGS: Economic Survey spells out the reasons
While acknowledging that MGNREGS played a critical role in enhancing rural incomes, improving village connectivity and accelerating digital adoption, the Survey flagged persistent gaps between intent and execution across states
BUSINESS
Caution, not pessimism, delayed gratification and a move away from quick fixes are key messages from CEA
The country stands to gain immensely when all of us embrace delayed gratification, says Nageswaran
BUSINESS
India's external sector remains strong, says Economic Survey 2026; bats for increasing export competitiveness
CAD stood at 1.3 percent of the GDP at the end of the September quarter. In FY25, current account deficit had narrowed to 0.6 percent
BUSINESS
Inflation unlikely to be a concern, says Economic Survey
Inflation to average 2 percent this fiscal, may not exceed 4 percent in coming fiscal as well, says survey citing IMF
BUSINESS
Economic Survey 2026 pegs FY27 growth at 6.8-7.2 percent
The first advance estimate for FY26 predicted economy to grow 7.4 percent in the FY26
BUSINESS
It’s not just tipplers: EU trade deal could make pet food cheaper for Indian households
Premium European brands such as Farmina and Royal Canin are likely to become more affordable if duties are reduced
BUSINESS
Industrial output growth jumps to 26-month high of 7.8% in December
Manufacturing output—the largest component of the index—expanded 8.1 percent in December, compared with 8.5 percent in November,
BUSINESS
India-EU trade pact to widen food, beverage choices for consumers
Wine imports, which currently attract duties as high as 150%, will see tariffs cut to 20% for premium wines and 30% for mid-range products. The EU accounts for more than half of India’s wine imports
