Business

After the new excise duty regime kicked in, cigarette prices have gone up, with a pack of 10 sticks now costing at least Rs 22–25 more than before.This follows the government’s decision to raise taxes on cigarettes for the first time in nearly seven years, bringing India’s tobacco taxation closer to global public health norms….

By Thomas V Abraham, Research Analyst, Mirae Asset ShareKhanIndia’s stock markets kicked off the special Sunday session on a flat-to-positive note, with Sensex touching an intraday peak near 82,726 and Nifty nearing 25,357. However, sentiment soured quickly after Budget 2026 announcements, dragging indices into the red amid targeted tax hikes and unmet expectations.Key triggers for…

Why the Weak Rupee and Peso Are Turning Into a Remittance Windfall for UAE Expats and Should You Send Money Now? A softening Indian rupee, Pakistani rupee and Philippine peso, trading near multi-year lows against the UAE dirham, is emerging as a remittance opportunity for expatriates in the UAE, prompting many workers to rethink when…

UAE E-Invoicing Revolution: How the Looming Digital System Will Transform Business Operations The United Arab Emirates is gearing up for a major tax and digital transformation in 2026–2027 with the rollout of a national electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) system that will fundamentally change how companies issue, process and report invoices. With pilot testing set to begin…

The government has unveiled a targeted manufacturing push centred on seven strategic and frontier sectors, positioning them as key drivers of job creation, domestic value addition and long-term industrial competitiveness.Presenting the proposals, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the strategy is anchored in accelerating growth through focused industrial interventions.“Under our first kartavya to accelerate and sustain…

Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on derivatives will rise from April 1, 2026, after the Finance minister Sithraman in her 9th budget speech proposed higher rates on futures and options trading as part of Budget 2026 changes to the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2004.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the move while presenting the Budget, saying: “I…

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the Union Budget on Sunday, announced a new scheme to support states in setting up five regional medical hubs in partnership with the private sector. These hubs will function as integrated healthcare complexes, combining medical care, education, and research, and aim to position India as a leading destination for medical…

In the Union Budget 2026, the Section 87A tax rebate, given in Income Tax,remain unchanged, disappointing taxpayers who had hoped for an increase to boost consumption and ease the burden on middle-income individuals. Thus, like for FY 2025-26, under the new tax regime, resident individuals with net taxable income up to Rs 12 lakh can…

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman NEW DELHI: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday delivered a 1 hour 25 minute presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27, marking her record ninth consecutive budget. She made several major announcements covering income tax, defence, railways, MSMEs, healthcare, and more.The budget was hailed as “historic” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,…

As the Centre prepares to roll out the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar Aajeevika Mission (Grameen) (VB-G RAM G), it has allocated Rs 95,692.31 crore for the new scheme, while earmarking Rs 30,000 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).Allocation for MGNREGA is shown at Rs 30,000 crore for 2026-27, lower than…