Union Budget 2026 LIVE News Updates: India is eagerly waiting for the Union Budget 2026, which is scheduled to be presented on Sunday, February 1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is going to present her record ninth consecutive budget amid global uncertainty and delicate business conditions. Before this, different industries have presented their demands before the government.
General Budget 2026 is going to be presented on 1 February
Budget 2026-27 LIVE Updates: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is preparing to present Budget 2026. Meanwhile, investors and industry will be closely keeping a close eye on sectoral allocations for FY2027, income tax policy and measures aimed at boosting export competitiveness and foreign trade diversification. Budget 2026 will be presented on Sunday, February 1.
Earlier, along with the common man, industries have also put forward their demands before the government on different fronts including real estate, crypto currency, income tax. At the same time, the Economic Survey 2026 before the budget has prepared the basis for this, in which the growth rate of India's economy in the financial year 2027 is estimated to be between 6.8% to 7.2%, while the potential growth is estimated to be around 7%.
Markets will remain open on budget day. Both NSE and BSE will trade as per regular timings. This year, market participants are not keeping much expectations regarding the budget. He is mainly concerned about possible relief on capital gains, while also urging the government not to increase transaction taxes.
Stay tuned for latest updates on key discussions and expectations.
Union Budget 2026 Live: EV sector makes big demands from the government
Union Budget 2026 Live: “Bringing GST to a uniform 5% on all EV components is important to support domestic manufacturing and make ‘Make in India’ EVs more affordable for the common man,” said Madhumita Agarwal, Founder and CEO, Oben Electric.
He further said that targeted subsidies for electric motorcycles, which are the largest in the two-wheeler market in India, will accelerate the adoption process and strengthen the country's EV ecosystem.
Budget 2026 Updates Live: Demand raised to increase PAN-Aadhaar limit of Rs 2 lakh while buying gold
Experts are demanding the government to increase the expenditure limit for purchasing gold, which requires PAN or Aadhaar. The current limit of ₹2 lakh, set in 2016, is now easily crossed due to high gold prices, impacting regular buyers and small jewellers. Increasing this limit in Budget 2026 will reduce compliance issues for genuine customers and will also maintain transparency in large transactions.
Healthcare sector needs relief in GST on medical equipment in the budget
Union Budget 2026 Live: Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Founder, Chairman and CEO of SS Innovations International said that before the Union Budget, the medical technology and surgical robotics sector is going through a decisive phase. Strong clinical expertise, advanced engineering capabilities and cost-effective solutions provide an important foundation for India to become a global medtech manufacturing and innovation hub.
He further said that realizing this potential requires encouragement of indigenous Research & Development (R&D), strengthening component-level manufacturing and rapid adoption of surgical robotics and AI-based healthcare technologies.
Rationalization of GST on domestically manufactured medical devices, increased R&D tax incentives, better access to long-term and affordable capital, as well as simplification of regulatory and export processes will drive innovation and global competition. As a ‘Made-in-India’ surgical robotics company, we believe that the right policy framework can lead India to global leadership in affordable and high-quality medical technology
Union Budget 2026: What is the demand for real estate?
Mayank Pathak, Founder and Managing Director, Translite, said, “The infrastructure momentum in India is real, but work on the ground is still facing avoidable hurdles. Delays in project approvals, working-capital stress for contractors, and poor enforcement of site safety standards are costing the sector months—sometimes years—of losses. In this Budget, we want to see three practical steps These are: a faster and more transparent clearance system, better credit flow to contractors and MSME suppliers, and a serious policy push towards safety compliance and mechanization at construction sites.”
What announcements can be made in the budget regarding Advanced Engineering?
Union Budget 2026 Live: Ashutosh Bhatnagar, Managing Partner, C3D Vision System, said India's next manufacturing revolution will come not just from higher production volumes, but from advanced engineering – 3D technology, automation and faster design-to-production cycles. This budget should prioritize R&D incentives, reduce import barriers for essential prototyping and industrial components, and invest in skill development for advanced manufacturing roles.
Access to next-generation engineering tools can significantly improve accuracy, productivity and time-to-market for MSMEs and medium-sized manufacturers. Policy support that accelerates the adoption of digital manufacturing technologies will reduce import dependence and enhance global competitiveness.
Union Budget 2026 Live: What is the demand for gems and jewelery sector?
Basic custom duty on gold and silver is at 6 percent (5 percent BCD and 1 percent AIDC).
The Union Budget 2026 is seeking targeted policy measures to strengthen gems and jewelery sector competitiveness, increase exports and accelerate formalisation.
Parag Shah, CEO, KISNA Diamond & Gold Jewellery, said, "Rationalizing import duty and GST on gold, silver and jewelery is important for a low-margin industry that is struggling with rising input costs. A stable and predictable tax structure can boost demand, improve export pricing and curb informal trade."
Union Budget 2026 Live: How is the revised income tax slab under the new tax system?
Currently, income tax rates and exemptions remain in line with the changes made in Budget 2025, which revamped the tax system and reduced the burden on middle-income families.
Budget 2026-27 LIVE Updates: FMCG sectors make big demands from the government on the issue of consumption and demand.
The FMCG sector, which manufactures items of daily use, has also made special demands from the government regarding Budget 2026. The government has taken many major steps to boost consumption and demand in the country. Now industry insiders have said that this year too, big announcements are expected in the budget from the government to further boost consumption, especially in rural and semi-urban India, which drives about 60% of FMCG demand.
Budget 2026-27 LIVE Updates: Government should reduce GST rates on service sector, currently 18% tax
There are many expectations regarding the Union Budget 2026, one of which is rationalization of GST rates for the service sector. Industry experts say that currently knowledge-based businesses like digital marketing agencies, consultancy firms, online education platforms and skilled training centers have been placed in the same tax slab as luxury consumption and the GST rates on these are 18%. In such a situation, if the government increases it to 12% then the service sector will get great relief.
Budget 2026-27 LIVE Updates: These are the big demands of the real estate industry including affordable housing from Budget 2026
Budget 2026-27 LIVE Updates: Budget 2026 is going to be presented on 1 February. The real estate sector has appealed to the government to fulfill its demands in the budget. On the real estate issue, industry players said the budget should focus on affordable housing, changes in GST rates on construction and redevelopment, policy clarity on real estate investments (REITs) and alternative capital sources.
Budget 2026-27 LIVE Updates: These 2 big demands from the government of tourism sector from Budget 2026
Along with the common man, different industries also have their own demands regarding Budget 2026. Tourism industry also wants something special in this budget. Abhishek Sahay, General Manager, Conrad Pune, said that the upcoming Union Budget provides another opportunity to further strengthen India's travel and tourism sector. In such a situation, reduction in indirect taxes will increase affordability and will promote employment generation in the industry and continuous growth in the hospitality sector. The government should allocate funds to improve tourism infrastructure and facilities for domestic and international travelers.
Budget 2026-27 LIVE Updates: Will tax on crypto currency be reduced? Industry expert placed this demand
The ongoing discussion around crypto in India has mainly focused on enforcement and taxation, but the next phase needs to focus on market structure and stability. On this issue, Bybit India Country Manager Vikas Gupta said that rationalizing the existing 30% tax on virtual digital assets and reducing the 1% TDS to a more practical level like 0.1% would be better for crypto users. This step will be helpful in bringing users back into the regulated domestic ecosystem, improving compliance and supporting strong market liquidity.
Union Budget 2026 LIVE: What are the expectations of the real estate sector from the budget?
According to Pradeep Mishra, an experienced real estate industry expert and founder of Oram Group, the real estate sector expects three major reliefs from Budget 2026. Revamping the first affordable housing. Secondly, to provide tax relief to homebuyers and investors. And thirdly- further strengthening infrastructure development.
Budget 2026 LIVE Updates: Deduction expected on health insurance
According to media reports, experts have requested the government to give deduction on health insurance premium in the new regime also. Experts believe that this deduction can be fixed at Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000. His argument is that medical inflation is increasing at a rate of 12 to 14% every year, in such a situation tax relief has become very important. At present, this benefit under Section 80D is available only in the old tax regime.
Budget 2026 LIVE Updates: Investors lost around Rs 4 lakh crore
Nearly Rs 4 lakh crore of investors sank within 15 minutes of initial trading, due to which the total market cap of BSE listed companies came down to Rs 455.73 lakh crore.
Union Budget 2026 LIVE: Big fall in Indian stock market continues on Friday before the budget
On Friday, a heavy phase of profit-booking was seen in the Indian stock market. Major indices like Sensex and Nifty fell from recent highs as investors turned defensive ahead of the Union Budget. Sensex fell by 625 points or 0.75% to hit a low of 81,941.03, while Nifty 50 also fell at almost the same pace to 25,224.35, down 194 points or 0.75% and slipped well below the 25,300 level.
Budget 2026 LIVE Updates: Who is the Finance Minister who has given the most budget speeches?
The record of giving the maximum budget speech in Parliament is in the name of Morarji Desai. During his two terms as Finance Minister, he presented 10 budgets. However, the upcoming budget will be Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's ninth consecutive budget, which is the longest record by any minister in India.
Union Budget 2026 LIVE: What was told in the Economic Survey?
The Economic Survey 2026, released on Thursday, January 29, notes that the Indian economy has remained largely stable despite geopolitical turmoil. The economy can expect a stable GDP growth of 6.8-7.2%. The main driver of medium-term growth will remain infrastructure. Export of services is the mainstay of India's export growth, reaching 10% of GDP.