Union Budget 2025 Live Updates: FM Nirmala Sitharaman to present her 8th consecutive Budget

Budget News: Will the Budget 2025 resurrect the India’s economic dynamism? 

As India’s growth engine slows, with GDP growth projected to decelerate to a four-year low of 6.4% in FY25 from 8.2% in FY24, the upcoming Union Budget will be a critical policy lever for reigniting growth momentum. NSO’s first advance estimates reveal some concerning trends-manufacturing growth slowing from 9.9% in FY24 to 5.3% in FY25; weakening investment momentum with gross fixed capital formation at a six-quarter low of 5.9% in Q2 FY25; and tepid urban and rural consumption. Meanwhile, global headwinds, including subdued trade and geopolitical uncertainties, continue to strain India’s export potential. 

Concomitantly, the Finance Minister faces a complex fiscal challenge. With nominal GDP growth expected to reach only 9.7% in FY25, below the FY25 budget target of 10.5%, managing the fiscal deficit will require a careful balancing act. The FY25 deficit target of 4.9% of GDP may reach 5%, making it crucial to maintain the fiscal glide path without compromising growth-enabling expenditure. 

Read full report here

Budget 2025 Updates: Budget needs to be a growth-booster 

The Union Budget for 2025-26, which will be presented on February 1, has assumed added significance due to the macroeconomic challenges facing the economy. Private consumption, which has all along been the mainstay of aggregate demand, has slowed down significantly. Q3:2024-25 financial results declared by about 500 listed companies so far have been largely disappointing, especially of fast-moving consumer goods, thus continuing the trend of the previous quarter. This is indeed worrying. A key challenge for the Budget is to strike a fine balance between stimulating the economy and pursuing fiscal consolidation 

Read full report here

Union Budget News: Budget should boost cooperatives at the grassroots 

United Nations declared 2025 the International Year of Cooperatives and unveiled a theme that “cooperatives build a better world.” So, this aims to boost India’s cooperative sector too by deepening cooperatives’ footprints in activities like procurement to production and distribution to credit services to name a few. 

The Ministry of Cooperation, since 2021, has tried to revamp cooperatives with several initiatives, namely model bye-laws for making Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) multi-purpose and multiple-service entities, promoting multi-purpose PACS, fisheries, dairy cooperatives in uncovered territories, the world’s largest integrated grain storage plan, among others. 

Read full report here

Union Budget Live: Markets keep winning streak alive before Budget 

Equity markets extended their winning streak for the fourth consecutive session on Friday, fueled by expectations of a pro-growth budget that the stress on deregulation in the Economic Survey indicated. The BSE Sensex surpassed the 77,500 level and Nifty 50 closed above 23,500. 

“The Economic Survey 2024-25 reinforced confidence in India’s robust economic fundamentals, suggesting that the current investment slowdown is transient,” said Devarsh Vakil, Head – Prime Research, HDFC Securities. 

The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 740.76 points or 0.97 per cent to close at 77,500.57, while the broader NSE Nifty 50 gained 258.90 points or 1.11 per cent to end at 23,508.40. The rally was supported by positive global cues following the European Central Bank’s decision to cut interest rates by 25 basis points. 

Read full report here

Union Budget 2025 Live: As Budget fever grips, expectation from market experts soar 

Expectations for this Budget from market experts were not very high initially, but after a sharp slide in small-cap and mid-cap stocks and correction in benchmark indices this month, several participants are now looking to the event to pump prime sentiment. 

The expectation rose further after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “I pray to Goddess Lakshmi to shower the poor, middle class with blessings.” The market cheered the statement with the Sensex rising nearly 1 per cent, small-cap 1.83 per cent and BSE Midcap 1.76 per cent. 

Read full report here

Budget 2025: Budget should focus on tax simplification, reduction in personal I-T: EY

The Budget is expected to focus on boosting private capex, tax simplification and reduction in personal income tax, particularly for the lower-income groups, to stimulate demand, EY India said. 

The Union Budget for 2025-26 is scheduled to be presented in Parliament on February 1. 

EY India, in its Budget expectation note, said with over ₹31 lakh crore stuck in income tax disputes as of 2023-24, there is an urgent need to clear Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) backlog and bolster alternate dispute resolution mechanisms like advance pricing agreements and safe harbours. 

Read full report here

Budget 2025 Live Updates: “I pray that Maa Lakshmi continues to bless the poor and middle class,” PM Modi

The Union Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 is expected to give boost to middle class and poor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated on Friday. He also said that FY26 Budget will give fresh impetus to the aim of achieving ‘Developed Nation’ status by 2047. 

Invoking the goddess Laxmi, the goddess of wealth in his customary address before the Budget Session of Parliament, Modi said: “I pray to Goddess Lakshmi to shower the poor, middle class with blessings.” Further, he said, “I can say with confidence this Budget session will infuse new confidence, energy in attaining our goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’.” 

Read full report here

Budget 2025 Live Updates: Government lists 16 bills for Budget session, opposition demands discussion on Kumbh incident 

The Government is expected to introduce key bills, including the Finance Bill, the Foreigners & Immigration Bill, the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Protection of interest in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025 among others during the Budget Session of Parliament starting January 31. 

The Waqf Bill has also been listed for consideration and passage. 

The session will begin with an address by President Draupadi Murmu on Friday followed by the Economic Survey for 2024-25. On Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her 8th successive Union Budget. 

Read full report here