While acknowledging the strains created by the external global environment, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday (February 1, 2026) presented Budget 2026, with the aim to increase productivity across sectors and ensuring employment generation. Union Budget 2026 highlights: Follow the highlights from February 1, 2026Presenting her record ninth consecutive Union Budget, Ms. Sitharaman said India must remain deeply integrated with global markets, exporting more and attracting stable long-term investment. The Budget also announced several infrastructure projects, including some that would benefit the poll-bound States of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh. Notably, the Budget did not include any major direct tax rate relaxations, for both individuals and corporations. It included several customs duty reductions aimed at boosting exports of marine, leather, and textile products, and speeding up India’s energy transition.

Source: The Hindu February 01, 2026 17:00 UTC