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In FY25, Punjab is set to experience financial challenges as its capital-to-revenue expenditure ratio is the lowest among all states, standing at just 6.2%, highlighted a research report by the <keyword id="19938957" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="National-Stock-Exchange" source="keywords">National Stock Exchange</keyword> (NSE). This means that for every rupee Punjab spends, a very small portion is being allocated towards capital expenditure, which is crucial for long-term <keyword id="19971350" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="infrastructure-development" source="keywords">infrastructure development</keyword>. In contrast, the research showed that the states like Gujarat lead the way with a much higher ratio of 36.2%, signaling a stronger focus on capital spending that can drive future growth. "The capital-to-revenue expenditure ratio, a measure of expenditure quality, is set at 20.7 % for FY25BE, declining from 21.2 % in FY24RE. Punjab has the lowest ratio at 6.2 %, while Gujarat leads at 36.2 %" said the report. The report also highlighted that the overall, capital expenditure by Indian states is expected to moderate in FY25 after three years of strong growth. It stated that the total capital spending for the fiscal year is estimated to increase by just 6.5 % to Rs 6.5 lakh crore. This is a notable slowdown compared to the sharp 39.3 % rise in FY24, which was marked by a post-pandemic push to boost infrastructure and public projects. The capital-to-revenue expenditure ratio, a key indicator of the quality of spending, is also set to decline slightly to 20.7 %in FY25 from 21.2 %in FY24, reflecting a more cautious approach by states. At the same time, revenue expenditure, which covers recurring costs like salaries, subsidies, and interest payments, is expected to grow by 8.9 % to Rs 44.2 lakh crore. This is the slowest growth in the last four years, indicating tighter control over everyday spending. "<keyword id="23614983" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="committed-expenditure" source="keywords">Committed expenditure</keyword> (interest payments and pensions), on the other hand, remains high, comprising about 24 % of total revenue expenditure and consuming nearly a quarter of revenue receipts" the report added. Despite this, the report noted that a large portion of revenue expenditure remains committed to non-discretionary costs. Interest payments and pensions alone account for about 24 % of total revenue expenditure and consume nearly a quarter of the revenue receipts, limiting states' flexibility in spending. Some states are more burdened than others by this committed expenditure. Punjab, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu have earmarked over 35 %of their revenue receipts for these fixed costs in FY25, putting additional pressure on their finances. This leaves less room for discretionary spending and makes it harder for these states to invest in development and growth-oriented projects.

Punjab's capital expenditure lowest in FY25 at 6.2% vs highest of Gujarat at 36.2%: NSE

The overall size of the budget has remained almost unchanged from the interim one presented in February, indicating the government's strong commitment to move along the <keyword id="20099794" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fiscal-prudence" source="keywords">fiscal prudence</keyword> path, said experts on Tuesday. According to the <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Union-Budget" source="keywords">Union Budget</keyword> 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the total expenditure in Budget Estimates (BE) 2024-25 is estimated at Rs 48,20,512 crore of which total <keyword id="20018917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="capital-expenditure" source="keywords">capital expenditure</keyword> is Rs 11,11,111 crore. The total expenditure in the Interim Budget presented in February was estimated at Rs 47,65,768 crore of which total capital expenditure was Rs 11.11 lakh crore. Debadatta Chand, Managing Director &amp; CEO, <keyword id="19920717" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bank-of-Baroda" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bank of Baroda" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bank of Baroda">Bank of Baroda</keyword>, said the Union Budget complements the main takeaways from the Economic Survey and focusses clearly on medium term development of the economy. "The overall size of the budget has remained almost unchanged from the interim one. The budget has shown strong intent on moving along the fiscal prudence path and targeted the <keyword id="19942084" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fiscal-deficit" source="keywords">fiscal deficit</keyword> at 4.9 per cent for the year," he said. The said action will keep the growth steady as well as robust not only for economy but also banking. Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist, ICRA Limited, said the budget has kept the capital expenditure unchanged and pared the fiscal deficit to 4.9 per cent of GDP. "The anticipated reiteration of the reduction in the fiscal deficit to below 4.5 per cent of GDP in FY2026 is welcome. Interestingly, the new medium term fiscal consolidation path has been linked to a reduction in the debt/GDP ratio instead of continued compression of the fiscal deficit/GDP ratio," she said. Buoyed by improvement in revenue collection, the government has lowered fiscal deficit target to 4.9 per cent for the current <keyword id="19910979" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="financial-year" source="keywords">financial year</keyword> as against 5.1 per cent estimated in February's interim budget. Ranen Banerjee, Partner and Leader Economic Advisory, PwC India, said that fiscal prudence is the highlight of the full Union Budget 2024-25. The government has gone with realistic projections on its revenue and expenditure estimates and refrained from announcing overly populist measures. "The majority of the allocations, including the capex allocation, are as outlined in the interim budget, thus providing continuity. The capex being kept at INR 11.11 trillion was expected, given that the ability to consume this allocation is limited due to disruption from the elections in the first quarter and the second quarter being typically slowed down by the monsoons," Banerjee said. Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) President Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal said the government has announced five schemes to facilitate employment and skilling for 4.1 crore youth over the next five years with a central outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore. "This is a welcome step that will create a skilled workforce to address the existing deficit and generate <keyword id="19972727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employment-opportunities" source="keywords">employment opportunities</keyword>. Additionally, financial support for loans up to Rs 10 lakh for higher education will help students pursue higher education and acquire skills," he added. Indian Institute of Insolvency Professionals of ICAI (IIIPI) Chairman Ashok Haldia said the budget proposals for an integrated technology platform and sprucing up NCLT infrastructure will provide a fillip to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) regime. IIIPI is promoted by ICAI. Meanwhile, Kumarmangalam Vijay, Partner, JSA Advocates and Solicitors, opined that in its new avatar, it seems that the Modi government is keen to deliver on its promise of 'ease of doing business'. "Its focus on making it simpler is evident from the abolition of the angel tax, the increase in new income tax regime thresholds, new Vivad se Vishwas Scheme 2024 for the resolution of pending cases and the increase in the threshold for appeal by tax departments at various levels, decriminalising the non-reporting of shares received from non-resident employers and reducing the period for re-opening of the cases," Vijay said. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) said there has been a focus on the manufacturing sector in the budget. Measures have been taken for simplifying the FDI/ODI rules and regulations, and the <keyword id="21847964" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax-regimes" source="keywords">tax regimes</keyword>. The enhanced Mudra loan limit and the abolition of angel tax are all set to incentivize the startup and MSME ecosystem of the country. "The nine priorities identified in this progressive and inclusive budget 2024 are aimed at generating ample opportunities for all. Besides agricultural reforms, the budget focuses on skilling, educating and employing the youth, a priority that the ICSI has been concentrating on," said ICSI President B Narasimhan. Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said the government's continued emphasis on infrastructure development is commendable. Enhanced road infrastructure will bolster the travel and tourism sector. "We also welcome the initiatives to develop iconic spiritual and cultural sites into world-class tourist hotspots," Magow said. Furthermore, he said the provision of credit for TCS against income tax under 'Income from Salaries' is logical and will provide much-desired relief to taxpayers who travel internationally.

Budget size almost unchanged from interim, shows govt's commitment to fiscal prudence: Experts

<keyword id="20018917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Capital-expenditure" source="keywords">Capital expenditure</keyword> on the <keyword id="19914937" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Railways" source="keywords">Railways</keyword> has increased by 77 per cent over the past five years with significant investments in the construction of <keyword id="22505706" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-lines" source="keywords">new lines</keyword>, <keyword id="20375816" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gauge-conversion" source="keywords">gauge conversion</keyword> and doubling, the <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Economic-Survey" source="keywords">Economic Survey</keyword> 2023-24 said on Monday. According to the survey tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword>, in the financial year 2019-2020, the capital expenditure was 1.48 lakh crore which was increased to ₹2.62 lakh crore in 2023-24. "<keyword id="19909154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Railways" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Railways" meta.hostid="346" meta.entityid="Indian Railways">Indian Railways</keyword>, with over 68,584 route km (as of March 31, 2024) and 12.54 lakh employees (as of April 1, 2024), is the fourth largest network in the world under single management," the survey said. Highlighting the initiatives taken by the Railway Ministry for the enhancement of operations and services, the survey mentioned Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project and Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) with the progress made in these respective <keyword id="19900581" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="projects" source="keywords">projects</keyword>. According to the survey, Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, launched in August 2023 for development of stations on a continuous basis, involves preparation of master plans and its phased implementation to improve amenities, building improvements, multimodal integration, and sustainability. It said that 1,324 stations have been identified for upgradation so far. Talking about another initiative, Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, the survey said that under this 508-km project, executed with cooperation from the government of Japan, land acquisition and civil conduct award have been completed. "Overall physical progress of 41.7 per cent has been achieved and financial expenditure of ₹59,291 crore was incurred until 31st March, 2024," the survey said. "Two DFCs are under implementation namely the eastern DFC with route length of 1,337 kilometre and the western DFC with route length of 1,506 kilometre," it added. It further stated that by the end of FY24, 96.1 per cent of the total DFC route length has been completed. Highlighting other major achievements, the survey said that the Railways achieved its highest-ever production for both locomotives and wagons in FY24. "Fifty one pairs of <keyword id="19922877" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vande-bharat" source="keywords">Vande Bharat</keyword> have been introduced until March 2024. The fast pace of infrastructure augmentation has been the result of a substantial increase in financial allocation along with close project monitoring and regular follow-up with stakeholders for expeditious land acquisition and clearances," the survey said. It added, "High-speed, long-distance Vande sleeper trainset coaches having features like quick acceleration, diffused lighting, automatic doors and global positioning system-based passenger information system are under development." According to the survey, the Railways is also planning to introduce Vande metro trainset coaches with features such as sealed wider gangways, centrally controlled automatic sliding doors, CCTVs for safety and surveillance, route map indicator, passenger information and infotainment system, fire detection system and aerosol-based fire suppression system. "The first lot is expected to be turned out in FY25," it said. "Railways has taken several initiatives for providing a clean environment in and around railway stations and trains, such as replacement of conventional toilets with bio-toilets on coaches leading to clean tracks, segregation of bio-degradable/non bio-degradable waste, solid waste management and discouraging use of single use plastic," the survey added.

Capital expenditure on Railways increased by 77% over 5 years: Economic Survey

In response to higher-than-expected tax revenue and a record surplus transfer from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Indian government is considering an 8-10% increase in <keyword id="20018917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="capital-expenditure" source="keywords">capital expenditure</keyword> (capex) for the fiscal year 2025, according to Pantomath Group's quarterly report, "Market Kaleidoscope: Quarterly Market Insights." This adjustment could raise the capex from the previously allocated Rs 11.11 lakh crore, aiming to bolster infrastructure and economic growth. This fiscal boost comes as India reaches a historic financial milestone. The total market capitalization of all stocks listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (<keyword id="19895774" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BSE" source="keywords">BSE</keyword>) briefly surpassed $5 trillion for the first time, placing India among global giants such as the US, China, Japan, and Hong Kong. India's primary market is set for a dynamic period, with 55 companies planning to raise over Rs 68,000 crore through Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). The first half of FY2025 has already seen 35 mainboard IPOs, collectively raising around Rs 32,000 crore with an average subscription rate of 61 times. The Indian market maintained a positive outlook in the first quarter of FY2025, driven by strong Q4FY24 earnings, favorable economic data, and positive global cues. Despite early June volatility following the 2024 <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> election results, market sentiment improved with the BJP securing 272 seats and a total of 292 seats for the NDA with allied support. This political stability under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership is expected to promote long-term economic growth, with a focus on infrastructure, electric mobility, startup support, power distribution, digital privacy, and healthcare initiatives. Corporate India's performance in the March quarter of FY2024 met expectations, showing double-digit growth in net profit and single-digit revenue increases. Non-lending companies experienced moderate operating margin expansion due to favorable commodity prices and cost controls. The peaking interest rates and continuity of <keyword id="19978691" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government-policies" source="keywords">government policies</keyword> are anticipated to support healthy corporate growth in FY2025. <h2>Growth to continue</h2>The government's push for increased <keyword id="20068449" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ethanol-production" source="keywords">ethanol production</keyword> targets a 20% blending by 2026, benefiting ethanol-heavy sugar companies and promoting biofuel goals. The real estate market is projected to grow significantly, requiring Rs 14 lakh crore in debt financing from 2024 to 2026. This growth will positively impact the banking and financial sectors. Major telecom operators have raised tariffs post-election, potentially improving sector financials and paving the way for sector re-rating. Major cement players are expanding through acquisitions, with an expected 6-7% compounded growth and market dominance by the top five players by March 2025. FMCG Companies expect recovery in rural business due to factors like a normal monsoon, robust crop yields, and government measures, maintaining robust rural demand. The potential roll-out of the FAME 3 Scheme to support <keyword id="19963112" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-vehicle-sales" source="keywords">electric vehicle sales</keyword> is anticipated, with a budgetary allocation of around Rs 10,000 crore. Sectors such as auto, cement, defence, railways, consumer durables, energy, and banking are expected to outperform. Lagging sectors like IT and specialty chemicals offer value-buying opportunities at lower levels. The structural bull market for Indian equity is supported by strong domestic fundamentals and government reforms, with a positive medium- to long-term market outlook. Globally, the US market showed resilience, except for the Dow Jones. The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates at 5.25-5.50%, awaiting inflation to move towards the 2% target before considering rate cuts. The US GDP grew at 1.4% annually in Q1 2024, with mixed economic indicators highlighting both strengths and challenges. The Indian <keyword id="19926041" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPO-market" source="keywords">IPO market</keyword> has seen significant growth, with a surge in companies seeking to list shares and a rise in capital raised. The first half of 2025 saw strong retail investor participation, reflecting confidence in India's growth prospects. Mahavir Lunawat, Managing Director, Pantomath Capital Advisors Private Limited, said, "Favourable market conditions, high liquidity, a conducive growth environment with stable interest rates, and benign inflation have facilitated a boom in the IPO market. The IPO market will experience a stronger pull post-budget. India is set to become the new equity funding frontier for global corporations." He further added. "We are on the brink of sustained, long-term momentum in the IPO market, with this year potentially becoming the best for IPOs. India's solid macroeconomic environment and promising growth prospects create an ideal backdrop for this vibrant IPO market. Additionally, there is robust participation from both domestic institutional investors and retail investors." With the Indian government's potential capex increase and the robust primary market activity, the <keyword id="19948184" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-economy" source="keywords">Indian economy</keyword> is poised for sustained growth. The upcoming period is expected to see heightened market activity, further IPOs, and economic stability, creating a conducive environment for investment and development.

India may boost FY25 capex by 8-10% amid surging revenues and record RBI surplus, says Market Kaleidoscope report

July is abuzz with news of the upcoming union budget, which Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> will present on July 23, 2024. But you couldn't care less, because you’ve already decided that you’ll tune it all out, as soon as our beloved Nirmala Tai starts her budget presentations in the parliament. We get it, having spent less than three decades on this planet, we GenZers have already had a tough time understanding the complexities of the modern world affecting our daily life. When it comes to our national finances, we just can’t seem to make any sense of the words spoken, and the general vibe of complicated terms like <keyword id="19942084" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fiscal-Deficit" source="keywords">fiscal deficit</keyword> and <keyword id="20018917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Capital-Expenditure" source="keywords">capital expenditure</keyword> is extremely off-putting! So, why bother? Don’t worry, we have got you covered. As we step into an unforgiving adult world, it's time to tune in, as the Union Budget often has direct implications on your personal finances. To help you start, here’s your very own budget glossary, which will let you decode all budget-related mumbo-jumbo, the <keyword id="20246469" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GenZ" source="keywords">GenZ</keyword> way. A: Annual Financial Statement Think of this as a simple breakdown of how much money the government has received and spent over three time periods — the current year, the previous year, and the budget (upcoming) year. This is required under Article 112 of the Indian Constitution. It has three parts: <ul><li>The consolidated fund of India, consisting of revenue received by the government as direct and indirect taxes, and loans</li><li>Contingency fund of India for emergencies, or disaster management</li><li>Public Account of India — our money that the government receives under various schemes like PPF, small savings and more </li></ul>B: <keyword id="20313429" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Budget-Estimates" source="keywords">Budget Estimates</keyword> Say you set aside Rs 25,000 this month from your salary, to buy an uber-cool smartwatch. But you find a sweet steal deal on Amazon and manage to grab it for just Rs 20,000. The Rs 25,000 you set aside from your monthly budget was an estimate. In the same way, the government sets aside a specific sum for every project or scheme based on its estimates, but in the end, the actual expenses may vary. C: Capital Expenditure See the government allocating funds left, right and centre for building highways, improving rail connectivity, or developing other infrastructures? That's capital expenditure, or capex. The idea of undertaking capex is to build something for the long term, something which keeps contributing to the economy’s growth, long after its creation. D: Divestments Divesting means to sell off and let go of one’s stakeholding or ownership in a company or enterprise. The government generally divests its shares in various public undertakings to raise funds. Remember the much-touted IPO of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) LIC’s IPO in May 2022? That was the government divesting 3.5% of its share in the insurance behemoth. E: Economic Survey This is a snapshot (and a pretty long one) of all the major economic developments that have taken place in the country during a particular financial year. It is usually released a day before the full budget, highlighting the performance of various government schemes, trends seen in various sectors of the economy, the policy initiatives taken by the government, and where the economy is going in the near future. F: Fiscal Deficit As daunting as it sounds, what if I tell you that most of us are perennially in a state of fiscal deficit? Surprised? It's simply when your spending exceeds your earnings. So, it gives you an estimate of how much you need to borrow, to tide over. Turns out, the government isn't faring great either, given that its fiscal deficit, or the difference between its revenue and expenditure currently stands at a staggering Rs 16,85,494 crores, or about 5.1% of India’s <keyword id="19904293" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GDP" source="keywords">GDP</keyword>. G: GDP Gross Domestic Product is the collective monetary value of all the goods produced and services rendered in the country, during a particular period. In other words, it is the combined total of the economic output that is generated by 141.72 crore Indians like us, expressed monetarily. As of 2024, India’s GDP stood at $3.9 trillion. GDP is a measure of how healthy and strong an economy is. Some of the world’s biggest economies, like China and the US, have a GDP of $18.5 trillion and $28.7 trillion, respectively. G: <keyword id="20411624" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gender-Budgeting" source="keywords">Gender budgeting</keyword> When achieving gender equality, and addressing challenges women face by way of allocating resources and formulating policies accordingly becomes key to preparing a budget, it's known as gender-based budgeting. Such a budget ensures that distribution of public resources between men and women is not heavily skewed towards the former. In 2023-24, India’s gender budget swelled 4.3% to Rs 2.23 trillion, which is about 4.9% of the overall budget. H: <keyword id="21458145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Household-Income" source="keywords">Household Income</keyword> The total money earned by everyone in your home makes for your household income. So, if you are a family of 4, where your younger sister is studying, and you, along with your parents earn a total of say Rs 25,00,000 per annum, that is your household income. As of 2022-23, India’s average household income stood at Rs 3.6 lakh/annum. O: Outcome of Budget This is a statement of the outcomes achieved by various government departments with the budget allocated to them last year. It answers questions like was the money spent on purposes it was sanctioned for? What was the output achieved? Think of this as a report card, detailing your progress, or money spent during the year, and is indicative of what more needs to be done to achieve the desired results. R: Revised estimates Say are saving up Rs 70,000 for your buying the latest iPhone. But a few months down, you realize that the price point has changed as the release date approaches, and it is likely to cost about Rs 85,000 now. You see, your initial estimate was Rs 70,000, but then, you revised your estimated requirement to Rs 85,000. The government works no differently. 6-months after the budget presentation, the government assesses if the money granted to scheme A is sufficient, or does it need more funds. Are there any other schemes that need more fund allocation? The new, revised estimates then become the benchmark of functioning, against which actual expenditures are compared. S: Subsidy This is a sum that the government gives to an industry or business, with the objective to keep its prices for the general public low. The government pitches in to pay a part of production costs, so that the public does not end up bearing the entire burden of the cost. Remember the recently discontinued FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) subsidy on electric vehicles (EV) schemes, which boosted EV adoption amongst Indians. Imagine your elder brother or sister funds 40% of your much awaited Goa trip, without wanting anything in return, for the simple purpose of you having fun! That's them subsidizing your travel! V: Vote on Account Remember Nirmala Tai presented an interim budget this year in February, given that elections were due in May? In an election year, the incumbent government does not present a full fledged budget, because who knows if they’ll be voted back to power or not? So, to tide over the next few months before a new government is brought back to power, the government seeks vote on account, which is basically permission or grant needed to fund expenditures for the next few months. Z: Zero-based budgeting The term refers to a budgeting method in which all expenses must be justified for each new period, starting from a "zero base." Think of it like starting with a blank piece of paper every time you make a plan for how to spend your money. Instead of just changing what you spent last year, you think carefully about every rupee you need and why you need it. In 1986, the Indian government implemented ZBB as a system for determining the Expenditure Budget, making it compulsory for all ministries. However, implementation and application of this approach have remained inconsistent in the later years. So, it's time to listen to Tai with rapt attention, and flaunt your newfound budget dictionary to those still afraid of endless budget jargons!

Budget A-Z, for the GenZ: A fun and handy guide for major terms around upcoming Union Budget

<keyword id="19923397" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ONGC" source="keywords">ONGC</keyword> declared the highest-ever standalone net <keyword id="19933742" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="profit" source="keywords">profit</keyword> of Rs 40,526 crore in FY24, the company informed the exchange in a filing. The consolidated net profit of the company is also highest at Rs 57,101 crore in FY24. The <keyword id="21739636" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="crude-oil-production" source="keywords">crude oil production</keyword> of the company has surged by 2.4 per cent quarterly to 5.359 MMT in Q4 FY24. However, the standalone gross revenue of the company declined 11 per cent YoY to Rs 1,38,402 crore in FY24 from Rs 1,55,517 crore in FY23. The standalone profit has surged yearly by 1.1 per cent to Rs 40,526 crore in FY24. The company also announced a total <keyword id="20047030" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dividend" source="keywords">dividend</keyword> of Rs 12.25 per share with a total payout of Rs 15,411 crore. This includes an interim dividend of Rs 9.75 per share which is already paid during the year and a final dividend of Rs 2.50 per share recommended by the Board. The Crude Oil production of the company in Q4 FY'24 saw an increase of 2.4 per cent over Q4 FY'23 whereas <keyword id="20646431" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gas-production" source="keywords">gas production</keyword> decreased by 3 per cent. The company informed that it drilled 541 wells, the highest recorded in the past 34 years, comprising 103 exploratory and 438 development wells. ONGC invested around Rs 37,000 crore in <keyword id="20018917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="capital-expenditure" source="keywords">capital expenditure</keyword> in FY24, compared to Rs 30,208 crore spent in the previous year. ONGC has also declared 11 discoveries (6 in on land, 5 in offshore) during FY 2023-24 in its operated acreages. Out of these, 6 are prospects (1 in on land, 5 in offshore) and 5 are new pool (on land) discoveries. The shares of ONGC gained more than 46 per cent in the last six months on the national stock exchange and were trading at Rs 280 at the time of filing this report. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/go-digit-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/110276113.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/go-digit-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/110276113.cms" target="_blank">Go Digit IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/kolkata-knight-riders-vs-sunrisers-hyderabad-head-to-head-record-match-timings-and-more/slidelist/110274500.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/kolkata-knight-riders-vs-sunrisers-hyderabad-head-to-head-record-match-timings-and-more/slidelist/110274500.cms" target="_blank">Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – head-to-head record, match timings and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-edge-50-fusion-vs-oneplus-nord-ce-4-price-specs-and-features-compared/slidelist/110197390.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-edge-50-fusion-vs-oneplus-nord-ce-4-price-specs-and-features-compared/slidelist/110197390.cms" target="_blank">Motorola Edge 50 Fusion vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 – price, specs and features compared</a>

ONGC declares highest ever standalone profit in FY24

<keyword id="20207838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dsp-mutual-fund" source="keywords">DSP Mutual Fund</keyword>'s September 2024 Netra report credits <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s strong economic recovery to increased fiscal expenditure. The report, which tracks current economic trends and market insights through various charts, emphasizes the need for the private corporate sector and households to play a larger role in sustaining the ongoing growth momentum. Netra also pointed out an unsettling calm in the markets, with the Nifty 50 TRI index maintaining an impressive 53-month streak without a 5% decline and 13 years without a drop greater than 10%. Sahil Kapoor, Head of Products and Market Strategist, DSP Mutual Fund, said, "The calm in the markets, marked by an unnerving lack of volatility, is a double-edged sword. While it provides a sense of stability, it also masks underlying risks that could surface unexpectedly, catching investors off guard. To ensure a sustainable recovery, there is a need for the private sector and households to take the lead, transforming fiscal stimulus into lasting economic growth." However, the report notes a shift in market dynamics, with the momentum factor, which has outperformed since the COVID-19 bottom, beginning to lose its dominance. At the same time, the quality factor, which had underperformed over the last four years, is now seeing a resurgence, potentially indicating a change in market leadership that could favour quality-orientated funds, both active and passive. The report highlights the critical role government spending has played in the recovery, with a focus on capital investments crucial for future growth. However, contributions from the private corporate sector and households have lagged. It also draws attention to a slowdown in India's per capita consumption, approaching lows seen in previous cycles. Given that consumption accounts for around 60% of GDP, it is vital that this sector grows at a rate exceeding GDP growth to stimulate private capital expenditure. India's <keyword id="487578" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax-collections" source="Orion">tax collections</keyword> have demonstrated robust growth, with gross tax revenue showing a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 %. This growth, largely driven by <keyword id="6354751" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="income-tax" source="Orion">income tax</keyword>, indicates a rising dependency on capital gains and stock market performance, introducing new vulnerabilities to the economy. The banking and financial services sector (<keyword id="19910880" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bfsi" source="keywords">BFSI</keyword>) has emerged as a key driver of market earnings, recording a 12 % increase in profit after tax (PAT) growth, significantly outpacing the 4.6 % growth observed in non-BFSI Nifty 50 companies. This disparity underscores the sector's importance in India's economic story and highlights promising investment opportunities.

India's strong economic recovery is led by fiscal expenditure: DSP MF

<keyword id="19955404" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance" source="keywords">Finance</keyword> Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> presented the Union <keyword id="19936553" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="budget" source="keywords">Budget</keyword> 2024-25 on Tuesday, outlining a detailed financial roadmap aimed at driving economic growth and ensuring fiscal stability. The budget reveals a comprehensive picture of government revenues and expenditures, highlighting major <keyword id="20439675" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="allocations" source="keywords">allocations</keyword> to key <keyword id="20353247" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sectors" source="keywords">sectors</keyword> and <keyword id="19915334" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="schemes" source="keywords">schemes</keyword>. The <keyword id="19945274" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="revenue" source="keywords">revenue</keyword> to the government is generated from multiple sectors. Income tax contributes 19 per cent, borrowings and liabilities stand as the largest source at 27 per cent, and <keyword id="19951327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gst" source="keywords">GST</keyword> along with other taxes accounts for 18 per cent. Corporation taxes contribute 17 per cent, followed by non-tax receipts at 9 per cent, customs at 4 per cent, excise duty at 5 per cent, and non-debt capital receipts at 1 per cent. On the <keyword id="19936655" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="expenditure" source="keywords">expenditure</keyword> side, the budget outlines significant allocations to various public sectors. Interest payments consume 19 per cent of the total expenditure, central sector schemes account for 16 per cent, and states' tax devolution takes up 21 per cent. Subsidies represent 6 per cent of the spending, while defence expenditures stand at 8 per cent. The Finance Commission and other transfers take up 9 per cent, centrally sponsored schemes another 8 per cent, pensions 4 per cent, and other expenses 9 per cent. In terms of sector-specific allocations, defence receives the highest allocation at Rs 4,54,773 crore. Rural development is allocated Rs 2,65,808 crore, reflecting the government's focus on boosting rural economies. Agriculture is set to receive Rs 1,51,851 crore, while home affairs are allocated Rs 1,50,983 crore, underscoring the importance of internal security. Education, a critical sector for future growth, is allocated Rs 1,25,638 crore. The IT and Telecom sector, pivotal for digital transformation, receives Rs 1,16,342 crore. Health is allocated Rs 89,287 crore, emphasising the ongoing commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure. The energy sector is earmarked Rs 68,769 crore, social welfare Rs 56,501 crore, and commerce and industry Rs 47,559 crore. The budget also highlights significant increases in allocations to major schemes. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) sees an increase from Rs 60,000 crore in FY23-24 to Rs 86,000 crore in FY24-25, aimed at enhancing rural employment. Nuclear power projects receive a boost from Rs 442 crore to Rs 2,228 crore, while the development of semiconductors sees a substantial increase from Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 6,900 crore, underscoring the push towards technological advancement. Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG is allocated Rs 1,500 crore, up from Rs 180 crore, to support energy access. Solar power allocation doubles from Rs 4,970 crore to Rs 10,000 crore, reflecting the government's commitment to renewable energy. This budget, with its detailed allocations and revenue plans, underscores the government's strategy to foster economic resilience, technological advancement, and sustainable growth.

Fund allocations to key sectors and schemes hiked in budget

<ul><li>Union <keyword id="19955368" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="budget-2024" source="keywords">Budget 2024</keyword> to be presented on July 23, 2024, at 11 am</li><li>Changes in the new <keyword id="19901478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="income-tax" source="keywords">income tax</keyword> regime possible in the budget </li><li>Budget is a detailed estimate of the government's revenue and expenses</li></ul>Next week, Nirmala Tai will present the 2024 <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-budget" source="keywords">union budget</keyword>. While the internet is already abuzz with the endless expectations of different industries and sectors, what the common man wishes for, and more, are we aware of how the budget comes to life in the first place? What do some of its terms like expenditure and revenue budgets even mean? And what exactly is the finance bill? If you have all these questions running through your mind, here's a ready reckoner for you, answering all your questions 1. Why should I care about the budget? Most of all, because it holds the answer to how your money will be taxed in the coming financial year, or years. Yes, you can (and perhaps will) choose to gloss over most of it, like when Tai talks about its capital expenditure or allocations made to various ministries. But you should know if there are any major changes introduced in the existing income tax slabs, because that would mean an automatic increase or decrease in your taxes. If there are some deductions or exemption that have just been introduced and can help you reduce your taxable income, you'd certainly want to use it to your benefit, wont you? (Unless you're a stickler for paying high taxes)! But for that, you should first know how your hard-earned money is being taxed, and that is why, you should tune into the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/article/budget-2024-a-handy-guide-for-major-terms-around-the-upcoming-union-budget/articleshow/111688482.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">upcoming union budget</a>. 2. What will happen to Income taxes in this budget? Will they be cut? We wouldn't know anything for sure until July 23rd, but there is news that the new tax regime might be made more attractive for the salaried class by way of increasing the <keyword id="20429578" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="standard-deduction" source="keywords">standard deduction</keyword> threshold (which is currently Rs 50,000 for both old and new regime), or by raising the total deduction limit under the old regime from the present Rs 2,00,000. Akhil Chandna, Partner at Grant Thornton Bharat also believes enhancing the standard deduction limit will do a world of good to salaried Indians. "With the introduction of the standard deduction in 2018 and the last increase in 2019 from ₹ 40,000 to ₹ 50,000, it is essential to raise the threshold to ₹75,000 now to align with current living costs and inflation. Raising the standard deduction can help improve people's purchasing power, especially those with fixed incomes like pensions", he said. Krishan Mishra, CEO, FPSB India also wishes for the tax exemption limit under new regime be raised from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, since "it will be a crucial step to encourage savings and investments among the mid-income group and will provide much-needed relief to taxpayers". The government may make the new tax regime more lucrative by enhancing its basic exemption limit (up to which no income tax is payable) from Rs 3,00,000. But that's a lot of MIGHTS, that will have to wait the final bell till 23rd! 3. How is the Budget is prepared? It is a lengthy, long-drawn process, which starts with the finance ministry asking all departments, states, ministries and union territories to give them an estimate of how much money they'd potentially need during the year. In addition to this, they also have to present details of all their revenues and expenditures in the past year. Then begins a super duper long process of consultations and discussions and deliberations and consultations and dialog (you get the gist!), after which the allocations are made. Weeks before the budget presentation, the <keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance-minister" source="keywords">finance minister</keyword> also meets representatives from various industries like agriculture, trade, manufacturing and more to know what they want. Based on that, the budget is fine tuned. 9-10 days before the budget is to be presented in the parliament, a halwa ceremony takes place, which commenced today, marks the start of budget printing. From this time on, the finance ministry staff goes super hush-hush and in lockdown, with no one allowed to leave the ministry premises till the budget is tabled in the parliament. 4. Why did India have 2 budgets this year? Because 2024 was an election year. That is why you saw an <keyword id="547606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Interim-budget" source="Orion">interim budget</keyword> in February, where the government presented a budget, the aim of which was just to fund its regular expenses and spending over the next 2-3 months, till elections. After the elections, it is the responsibility of the newly elected government to prepare a full-fledged budget. Think of this as borrowing from your friends just to fund your mid-month, small term, interim cash crunch. You pay them back as soon as you get your salary, and your budget is set again (at least for the time being!) 5. What are the various types of budget documents The union budget is a hefty set of documents! There's Annual Financial Statement, which lays out how much money it needs in revenue, and how much does it plan to spend that during the year. There's demands of grants, which tells us how these receipts and expenditures will be utilised by different ministries and departments, down to each scheme. There's the finance bill, which outlines any changes the government intends to make, in order to raise these proposed funds. This primarily includes change in tax structures. Then there is appropriation bill, which highlights how the government plans to withdraw money from the consolidated fund of India (where all of government's revenue from income tax, customs and excise and other sources flow in). Once approved, both finance and appropriation bill become acts. The extremely complex sounding "medium term fiscal policy cum fiscal policy strategy statement" has all your important macro- economic indicators like GDP, fiscal deficit, revenue deficit, primary deficit and more. But of course, you can skip through all this to just check out budget at a glance and highlights, which presents the key features and decisions made in the budget in a concise manner. <h4 style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Mulish, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify;"> </h4>6. What is a revenue and <keyword id="2745241" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="expenditure-budget" source="Orion">expenditure budget</keyword>? Think of this as a detailed breakdown of how the government plans to raise money for everything during the year by of tax or non-tax revenues, borrowings and more. The <keyword id="425836" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="revenue-budget" source="Orion">revenue budget</keyword> also outlines how much revenue the government had to forego to fund various tax incentives or subsidies. There's no chance you wont spend what you've earned! And so, how the government plans to spend its receipts are mentioned in the expenditure budget. It highlights what each ministry gets, how much money will be spent on a certain scheme and more. 7. What is a populist budget? No, its not another budget document, but just a fancy name for a budget that is prepared with the sole intention to appeal to the people by slashing down income taxes, increasing subsidies and spending more on social schemes. Such a budget might seem lucrative in the short run, but it do not contribute to the country's long-term economic development in any way. On the contrary, it only adds to the overall fiscal burden of the country. Its as if a character came in for a short cameo in your favorite series, won people's hearts, and then vanished into thin air, with no meaningful contribution to the story line. You'd feel short-changed, wont you? So, time to listen to Nirmala Tai and the budget's humdrums with some understanding and interest! Also read: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-how-will-budget-affect-indias-position-in-the-global-space-race/articleshow/111855546.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Budget 2024: How will budget affect India’s position in the global space race?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/article/despite-pandemic-and-growing-health-scares-indias-budget-share-for-healthcare-continues-to-decline/articleshow/111807009.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Despite pandemic and growing health scares, India’s budget share for healthcare continues to decline</a>

Union Budget 2024: A handy FAQ guide to decode the upcoming budget

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Inflation has come down from pandemic highs, but one economist isn't expecting a return to 2%.</li><li>Rate cuts and other changes in the economy point to 3%+ long-term inflation, says Steven Blitz.</li></ul>For the last decade or so, the Federal Reserve's magic number for inflation has been 2%.The central bank has been aiming to keep the long-run inflation rate at this level to maintain stable prices and a healthy economy.And after the runaway prices of the pandemic era, it seems like the Fed is drawing closer to its 2% goal: the inflation rate was 2.4% for the 12-month period ending in September.However, don't count on a return to the 2% era, said Steven Blitz, chief economist at business intelligence firm GlobalData. Blitz believes the economy is on track for higher, not lower, long-term inflation."I think inflation is going to settle around 3%, 3.5%," Blitz told Business Insider in an interview. "There is now a higher base inflation rate than there was before COVID for a number of reasons."The Fed's rate-cutting campaign is certainly a contributing factor to higher future inflation, in Blitz's opinion. In the past, runaway inflation has only returned to 2% after the Fed engineered a hard landing that slowed consumer spending and wage growth, Blitz said. Financial historian <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-fed-powell-mistake-1970s-runaway-stagflation-unemployment-interest-rates-2024-10">Mark Higgins</a> points out that when the Fed cut rates too quickly in the 1960s, inflation spiked and contributed to stagflation in the 1970s.But there are other factors contributing to an increased long-term inflation rate, many of which Blitz tracked even before the pandemic.Debt levels are creeping up, generating an inflationary effect by increasing demand and prices for goods. In terms of consumer and business debt, after the Great Financial Crisis, households and businesses focused on deleveraging their balance sheets, but this trend started reversing after the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2018, Blitz said. Reduced taxes incentivized spending and also increased the national debt. A higher national debt balance can erode confidence in the dollar, further increasing inflation.Changing demographics in the workplace are also driving increasing debt and higher long-term inflation, according to Blitz.The workforce is getting younger as Gen Z employees enter the market and baby boomers and Gen X employees retire, resulting in growing spending power from Gen Z.As millennials age and gain more income, they're entering their prime homebuying years."They're in that part of their life where they normally leverage their balance sheets to take in physical assets," Blitz said. And as more millennials start families and have children, their expenditures will only continue to increase. These demographic changes will stoke consumer demand and, subsequently, inflation.And lastly, inflation is creeping up thanks to changes in international trade, Blitz said. Import penetration, or the amount of foreign goods flowing into the US, is reaching a plateau. Importing cheap goods from overseas has a disinflationary effect by decreasing prices paid by consumers.Blitz believes import penetration in the US is near or has already reached peak levels, meaning that the deflationary impacts of international trade will be muted in the future. With trends such as nearshoring and reshoring driving companies to move their operations closer to domestic markets, import penetration could certainly decline.In Blitz's perspective, all of these factors add up to an inflation rate exceeding 2% going forward.<h2 id="42586d83-d9bb-4112-b404-1a3b9311f18b">Investing for higher inflation</h2>Investors could start seeing persistent inflation take hold within the next year, according to Blitz. The September jobs report is already one early sign of sticky inflation, especially wage inflation, in his opinion.There are a few ways that investors can prepare their portfolios.In a high-interest-rate environment, bonds are less attractive, Blitz said. Bonds suffer from inflation risk because inflation eats into interest rate payments, reducing their real yield. Higher inflation also pushes up yields as investors demand higher compensation, reducing the value of the assets.Instead, look towards the stock market, he said. While increased inflation might hurt the stock market overall, there are some pockets of equities that will benefit. Technology and value stocks typically perform well in the wake of higher inflation, according to Blitz.In a high-inflation environment, companies look to put their capital into more durable investments as the dollar depreciates. Blitz believes the chip industry in particular is an inflation-resilient choice because they supply assets critical to many supply chains.High inflation can be a boon to value stocks because it boosts businesses' margins."In a lower inflation environment, it's harder to grow revenue off of the nominal growth of the economy," Blitz said. That results in outperformance from growth stocks, which investors anticipate will increase profits at a substantially higher pace relative to the rest of the market.In a 3% to 3.5% inflation environment, there's more opportunity for overlooked value stocks to appreciate. High-quality value stocks with stable margins will actually receive a lift from rising prices, especially if they have good cost management, Blitz said.Those looking to increase their exposure to these areas of the stock market can do so through funds such as the iShares Semiconductor ETF (<a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/etfs/ishares-semiconductor-etf-us4642875235?miRedirects=1">SOXX</a>) and the Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF (<a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/etfs/vanguard-value-index-fund-etf-shares-us9229087443?miRedirects=1">VTV</a>).

Why inflation isn't returning to pre-pandemic levels — and 3 trades to capitalize on an overheating economy

India was the fourth largest military spender globally in 2023 with an expenditure of USD 83.6 billion, behind the US, China and Russia, according to a report by an independent international think-tank. The report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shared on its website in April also said the "rise" in global military spending last year can be attributed "primarily to the ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating geopolitical tensions in Asia and Oceania and the Middle East". The military expenditure went up in all five geographical regions, with major spending increases recorded in Europe, Asia and Oceania and the Middle East, it said. The report comes amid ongoing conflicts in various parts of the world such as the ones involving Israel-Hamas, Iran-Israel, Russian-Ukraine besides volatility in the Red Sea region. "World military expenditure increased for the ninth consecutive year in 2023, reaching a total of USD 2443 billion. The 6.8 per cent increase in 2023 was the steepest year-on-year rise since 2009 and pushed global spending to the highest level SIPRI has ever recorded," according to the report. The <keyword id="21404979" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-military-burden" source="keywords">world military burden</keyword> -- defined as military spending as a percentage of global gross domestic product (GDP) -- increased to 2.3 per cent in 2023. Average military expenditure as a share of government expenditure rose by 0.4 percentage points to 6.9 per cent in 2023 and world military spending per person was the highest since 1990 at USD 306, it added. With military expenditure of USD 83.6 billion in 2023, India was the "fourth largest spender globally". Indian spending was up by 4.2 per cent from 2022 and by 44 per cent from 2014. The increase in India's military spending was "mainly a result of growing personnel and operations costs" which made up almost 80 per cent of the total military budget in 2023, the <keyword id="20911352" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SIPRI-report" source="keywords">SIPRI report</keyword> claimed. "This aligns with the government's priority to strengthen the operational readiness of the armed forces amid ongoing tensions with China and Pakistan. In comparison, capital outlays to fund military procurement remained relatively stable at around 22 per cent of the budget in 2023," it said. A total of 75 per cent of these outlays went towards equipments produced domestically, which was the highest level ever and up from 68 per cent in the previous year. The continued shift towards domestic procurement reflects India's goal of becoming self-reliant in arms development and production, the think-tank said in its repot fact sheet shared on its website. The Indian Army has maintained that deployment of its troops and other elements along the LAC is "extremely robust" and "balanced". The eastern <keyword id="21271073" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ladakh-border-standoff" source="keywords">Ladakh border standoff</keyword> erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area. The ties between India and China nose-dived significantly following the clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, it provides data, analysis and recommendations based on open sources to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. The Stockholm-based think-tank monitors developments in military expenditure worldwide and maintains the most comprehensive, consistent and extensive publicly available data source on military expenditure, according to its online portal. The US military spending was USD 916 billion in 2023, which was 2.3 per cent more than in 2022 and 9.9 per cent more than in 2014, the report said. The US remained by far the largest spender in the world, allocating 3.1 times more to the military than the second largest spender China. "The biggest percentage increase among all US military spending categories in 2023 was for 'research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&amp;E)". The Stockholm-based think-tank also said in its report that Ukraine was the "eighth largest spender" in 2023 after a spending surge of 51 per cent to reach USD 64.8 billion. This gave Ukraine "a military burden of 37 per cent and represented 58 per cent of total government spending". "Ukraine's military spending in 2023 was 59 per cent the size of Russia's. However, Ukraine also received at least USD 35 billion in military aid during the year, including USD 25.4 billion from the US. Combined, this aid and Ukraine's own military spending were equivalent to about 91 per cent of Russian spending," the report claimed. According to the report, Russia's military spending increased by 24 per cent to an estimated USD 109 billion in 2023. "China, the world's second largest military spender, allocated an estimated USD 296 billion to the military in 2023, an increase of 6 per cent from 2022. This was the 29th consecutive year-on-year rise in China's military expenditure. China accounted for half of total military spending across the Asia and Oceania region. Several of China's neighbours have linked their own spending increases to China's rising military expenditure," the Stockholm-based think-tank claimed in its report. In 2023, the 31 <keyword id="20763732" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NATO-members" source="keywords">NATO members</keyword> accounted for USD 1,341 billion, equal to 55 per cent of the world's military expenditure, the report said. 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India fourth largest military spender globally in 2023: SIPRI report

The <keyword id="20449324" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Bill" source="keywords">Finance Bill</keyword> 2024 was passed by <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Lok Sabha" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Lok Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> on Wednesday evening, with a few amendments moved by the government. Replying to the debate, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman said the approach of the government has been to bring greater simplification of <keyword id="19987671" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax" source="keywords">tax</keyword> laws and procedures and enable growth and employment in the country. She responded to points made by members. The Finance Minister clarified that in real estate, the roll over provisions have not been withdrawn and are applicable. She said if the capital gain in a property transaction is invested in buying another one or two properties up to a maximum value of Rs 10 crore, no capital gain tax is required to be paid on such profits. <keyword id="20619608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="capital-gains" source="keywords">Capital gains</keyword> can also still be invested in bonds which are notified under Section 54 of the Income Tax Act up to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh annually and save on taxes. To give relief on budget proposals, Sitharaman also moved an amendment in the Finance Bill on the changes in the capital gains tax on <keyword id="20412285" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="property-transactions" source="keywords">property transactions</keyword>. The amendment implies that taxpayers can avail either a lower tax of 12.5% without indexation or a rate of 20% with indexation, if the property is acquired prior to July 23, 2024, the day union budget was presented in the Lok Sabha. Sitharaman clarified that taxpayers can compute taxes under both provisions and choose to pay tax under the scheme where lower tax is applied. Effectively, July 23, 2024, is now set as the cut-off date for the calculation of the capital gains versus the earlier cut-off of 2001. Sitharaman said she has proposed these amendments as some members have raised hypothetical calculation to prove that under new provisions taxpayers will have to pay higher taxes. The new tax proposals on capital gains tax was brought in to bring in parity among different asset classes like equities, mutual funds and real estate. In the Finance Bill introduced on July 23, the Finance Minister had proposed a flat long term capital gains tax of 12.5% with no <keyword id="943856" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="indexation-benefit" source="Orion">indexation benefit</keyword>s, prior to it property transactions used to be taxed at 20% with indexation benefit. The minister also clarified that the grandfathering proposal will be allowed only for individual and Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) taxpayers and not for companies and Non Resident Individuals. They have to pay flat 12.5% LTCG tax without indexation. The proposed amendment will apply not only on real estate transactions, but also on unlisted equity transactions, which are done before July 23, 2024. All such transactions will be taxed at 10% long term capital gains instead of FY24-25 budget provision of 12.5% tax. With the opposition members demanding removal of <keyword id="19951327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST" source="keywords">GST</keyword> on health insurance, Sitharaman said tax was there on medical insurance even before GST was introduced. "There was already a Service Tax on medical insurance, before the GST was introduced. This is not a new tax, it was already there in all the states. Those protesting here, did they discuss regarding the removal of this tax in their states? Did they write to the Finance Ministers of their respective states about it and asked them to raise it in the GST Council where states have 2/3rd part? No, but they are protesting here. This is their double standards, this is their drama," she said. "Wrongful protests have happened recently, and comments have been passed on the basis of a news report which suggested that the 'Centre has pocketed Rs. 24,529 crores of health insurance premiums alone'. This is incorrect and highly misleading. The GST rate of 18% on health insurance comprises of 9% CGST and 9% SGST. Thus, of the total collections of Rs 24,529 crores from health insurance in the last 3 years, Half of it, Rs. 12,264 crores, went straight to the states as SGST. It doesn't even come to the Centre," she added. The minister said that apart from this, roughly 41%of the Centre's share of GST collection on health insurance is devolved back to the states again, as part of Tax Devolution as per the Finance Commission's formula. Sitharaman said the new income tax regime is simpler and offers lower income tax rates for individuals. "It gives flexibility to the taxpayer to see where he wants to put his money in the absence of exemptions which is available in the old income tax regime. The old regime has not been dissolved and is still an alternative to the new tax regime. It still offers benefits of various deductions such as interest on home loan, etc. Individuals without business income can choose between regimes once and can revert back too. Hence, a choice has been provided to assesse," she said. For the previous Assessment Year 2023-24 till December 31, 2023, about 3.8% of taxpayers opted for the new tax regime, which equates to 30.93 lakh individuals, from a total of 7.98 crore ITRs filed in the categories of ITR-1 to ITR-4, she said. "However, for the Assessment Year 2024-25 until July 31, 2024, there was a dramatic increase in adoption of the new regime, with approximately 72.8% of taxpayers choosing the new tax regime. This represents about 5.25 crore individuals, out of a total of 7.22 crore ITRs filed in the same category." Sitharaman said this shows a substantial shift in taxpayer preference towards the new tax regime, over the span of just one year. "Taxpayers opting for the new regime does not mean savings and investments are not happening in the economy by the middle-class. Due to growth in fintech, better awareness, and ease of investment due to UPI, e-KYC, progressive regulations, investments in mutual funds have increased tremendously. On an average, 17.88 lakh new folios have been added every month in the last 5 years since June 2019. The number of unique mutual fund investors has grown from under 1 crore in 2014 to about 4 crore today," she added. The Finance (No.2) Bill, 2024 was passed after amendments moved by opposition were negatived. Sitharaman said the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been to establish a simple, efficient and fair technology-driven taxation regime in the country. "So, simplification and ease of compliance for the taxpayer has been the primary objective. In the last 10 years, and this year, in the third term of PM Modi, the approach to taxation has been to simplify it, reduce the burden on taxpayer and make sure it is transparent and equitable," she said. "This year also, our approach has been that we bring in greater simplification of tax laws and procedures, and that we enable growth and employment in this country," she added. Sitharaman presented the Union Budget in Parliament on July 23. This is the first full budget of the NDA government led by PM Modi. The BJP-led alliance won a third successive term earlier this year. The Lok Sabha took up discussion on the Finance Bill after the Appropriation Bill for the central government's expenditure for 2024-25 was passed by the House on Monday. The Finance Bill will now be discussed by Rajya Sabha. The passage of bill will complete the budget process.

Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill, provision on LTCG tax on property transactions amended

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has been allocated Rs 13,539 crore in the 2024-2025 budget, an increase of 37 per cent from the 2023-2024 revised estimates of Rs 9,853.32 crore. This increase is primarily focused on enhancing <keyword id="20312810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="welfare-programmes" source="keywords">welfare programmes</keyword> for <keyword id="21384605" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="marginalised-communities" source="keywords">marginalised communities</keyword> and improving infrastructure for social services. The key areas of funding include Rs 9,549.98 crore for the 'Umbrella Scheme for Development of Scheduled Castes', a significant increase from the Rs 6,780 crore in the previous financial year. For achieving social justice comprehensively, the saturation approach of covering all eligible people through various programmes, including those for education and health, will be adopted, Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> said on Tuesday while presenting the 2024-25 Union Budget in Parliament. She said to ensure <keyword id="22517725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inclusive-human-resource-development" source="keywords">inclusive human resource development</keyword>, a social justice saturation approach will be adopted. Social justice through the saturation approach refers to a strategy where the government aims to ensure that all eligible individuals are covered by various programmes and initiatives. The department has been allocated Rs 2,150 crore for the 'Umbrella Programme for Development of Other Vulnerable Groups' and Rs 314 crore for the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction. The establishment expenditure of Rs 145.80 crore for the central administration includes allocations for the secretariat and national commissions. The amount is a slight decrease from the previous year's Rs 152.60 crore. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has been allocated Rs 38 crore and the National Commission for Backward Classes Rs 21 crore. The budget of the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities remains at Rs 5 crore. Central sector schemes and projects are among the focus areas of this budget, with the <keyword id="22517726" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="scholarships-for-higher-education" source="keywords">Scholarships for Higher Education</keyword> for Young Achievers Scheme for Scheduled Castes being allocated Rs 428 crore. This scheme encompasses various sub-schemes, including the National Fellowship for SCs, Free Coaching for SCs and OBCs, Top Class Education for SCs and the National Overseas Scholarship for SCs. The Scheme of Residential Education for Students in High School in Targeted Areas for SCs has been allocated Rs 133.07 crore. The department also prioritises <keyword id="22024434" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-assistance" source="keywords">economic assistance</keyword> and <keyword id="20068989" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="skill-development" source="keywords">skill development</keyword> through initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana -- that has been allocated Rs 130 crore -- and the <keyword id="20245482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="venture-capital-fund" source="keywords">Venture Capital Fund</keyword> for SCs and OBCs -- that has bee allocated Rs 50 crore. Additionally, the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers, which previously had allocations, does not feature in the current budget, indicating a possible reallocation of funds or a change in strategy. Support for marginalised individuals, particularly through the Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise programme, which includes comprehensive rehabilitation for persons engaged in begging and welfare of transgender persons, has been allocated Rs 98.46 crore. This marks a substantial increase from the previous year's Rs 32.82 crore, highlighting a growing commitment to addressing these vulnerable groups' needs. Transfers to states and Union Territories under centrally sponsored schemes form a major part of the budget.

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