FM Sitharaman presents Union Budget 2026
STC NEWS MONITORING DESK
NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 01 (STC): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive budget on Sunday, February 1. The FM made several key announcements, aimed at accelerating and sustaining economic growth, aligned with the vision of ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’.
She outlined several measures, ranging from a capex hike to high-speed rail corridors to regional medical hubs. Here’s a look at some takeaways from her budget speech:
Key takeaways
- Capex hike
The FM proposed to increase the government capex to ₹12.2 lakh crore for FY27 from ₹11.2 lakh crore in FY26. - Seven new high-speed rail corridors
The FM proposed adding seven high-speed rail corridors: Mumbai to Pune, Pune to Hyderabad, Hyderabad to Bengaluru, Hyderabad to Chennai, Chennai to Bengaluru, Delhi to Varanasi, and Varanasi to Siliguri, with the aim of promoting environmentally sustainable passenger travel. - Measures to strengthen bond markets
The FM proposed a market-making framework with access to funds and derivatives on corporate bond indices. The move is aimed at strengthening the corporate bond market. - Focus on banking for the Viksit Bharat goal
The FM said a high-level committee on banking will be set up for Viksit Bharat. The FM said the committee will review the entire banking system and suggest changes to support India’s next stage of economic growth. - NRIs’ investment limit increased
The investment limit for NRIs was increased from 5% to 10% and the overall investment limit was increased to 24% from 10%.
The move is expected to enable greater participation of NRI capital and improve access to long-term overseas funds.
(Straight Talk Communications I Inputs from Agencies)
