Union Budget 2025 Expectations Highlights: Blog Closed

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Highlights: This blog is closed, stay with Livemint for the latest Budget related news and updates.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Sahil Agarwal, CEO, Nimbus Group expects rationalization of taxes and duties levied on homebuyers.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Sahil Agarwal, CEO of Nimbus Group, said the Finance Minister's urge to the state governments to address the 12% taxes of a property's value on buyers is still pending progress. Aggarwal expects the Budget to include provisions to streamline these charges. 

"One key area of focus should be the rationalization of taxes and duties levied on homebuyers, which in many states exceed 12% of a property's value. In the previous budget, the finance minister urged state governments to address this issue, but significant progress has yet to be made. We hope this budget includes provisions to streamline these charges and provide much-needed relief to homebuyers. Additionally, we urge the government to revisit the long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax on real estate and consider providing relief in this area," said Agarwal. 

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Ministry of Defence budget promise update for 2022-23.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: The Budget 2022-23 promised that Defence R&D would be opened for industries, startups, and academia, with 25% of the Defence R&D budget allocated. 

According to the data released on Sunday, January 19, the Government has approved ₹50 crore under the Technology Development Fund Scheme and allocated 25% of the R&D Budget to private industry and academia for the development of Defence tech. 

They have also established 15 DRDO Academia Industry Centres of Excellence in various IITs/Universities. 

The Ministry has sanctioned 217 new projects and has completed nearly 150 projects as per the data. 

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Ministry of Coal budget promise update (2022-23)

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Ministry of Coal announced four pilot projects for coal gasification and conversion of coal into chemicals required for the industry, in 2022-23 Union Budget. 

According to the data released on Sunday, January 19, Government has signed MoU's between Coal India Ltd (CIL) and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) on December 2, 2024 to set up a 1.83 MMSCMD capacity project in Maharashtra to produce synthetic natural gas. 

They have also launched a "New Era Cleantech Solutions Pvt Ltd Project" to make a 18 KTPA capacity project in Maharashtra to make Ethanol. 

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: MSMEs seeking compliance relief, export incentives

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Ravi Saxena, founder and MD of Wonderchef said that MSMEs are seeking compliance relief, export incentives, and boost to consumer spending in the coming Budget. 

Expectations include: Reduction in compliance burdens, enhancing export incentives and expanding the PLI scheme to drive manufacturing growth; tax reforms and better access to essential inputs like steel, aluminium and plastics; speedier dispute resolution mechanisms; focus on boosting consumer spending to stimulate demand and job creation. 

"By nurturing consumer confidence and spending power, the economy can achieve more balanced and resilient GDP growth, driven by both public and private momentum," he added. 

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: 'Cybersecurity infra essential to safeguard digital, strategic interests'

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: With artificial intelligence (AI) being more widelly adopted, cybersecurity needs to be a key focus in the Budget, feels Ankush Tiwari, Founder and CEO of pi-labs.

He notes that cyber threats are evolving rapidly, and it is essential to allocate a significant portion of the defense budget to strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure. "Including cybersecurity under defense spending will ensure consistent investment while supporting the 'Make in India' initiative to develop local capabilities. This is critical for safeguarding the country's digital and strategic interests. We hope the government recognizes this need and takes decisive steps to address it," Tiwari stated.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: 'Hope to see increased allocation for education sector'

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Dinesh Gupta, Founder & CEO of Vikalp Online School noted that between 2015 and 2024, India allocated approximately 4.1 per cent to 4.6 per cent of its GDP to education; and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 set a goal of increasing public investment in education to 6% of GDP. 

He hopes in the coming Budget, allocation for the education sector will be increased to align with the 6% goal; and there are policies that encourage schools, universities and online education providers to expand their reach and impact.

"This budget has the potential to set the stage for transformative growth in education, so that students from all over the world can join Indian institutes for education. Anyways Indians are in majority in most of the world's best educational institutes including MIT, Oxford and Cambridge. Our teachers and professors are world class. Only thing lacking is good institutes…We remain hopeful for a budget that fosters education institutes to shape the future of learning," Gupta added. 

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: 'Technology becoming deeply integrated in governance, business, citizens' daily life'

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: The Budget presents an opportunity to accelerate technology integration in governance, business, citizens' daily life, according to Aalok Kumar, Corporate Officer & Sr. VP-Head of Global Smart City Business, NEC Corporation, and President & CEO, NEC Corporation India.

His expectations include: Strategic investments in digital infrastructure, including smart cities and integrated logistics platforms; focus on scaling AI, IoT, big data and deep tech for use in underserved regions; integrating technology within the mainstream in these sectors will drive economic growth; channelling budgetary focus into skill development and fostering homegrown innovation.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: 'Expect tax exemptions on GST, rate rationalisation on term and health insurance'

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: The Insurance Brokers Association of India (IBAI) President Sumit Bohra said they are looking forward to the government providing tax exemption on GST or moderation of GST rate across the health and term insurance premium.

Other expectations include: Separate section apart from section 80D and 80C for deduction or exemption for insurance policies that should cover health insurance, personal accident, home insurance and life insurance; push towards liberalised FDI limits in insurance sector to 100%; collaboration between private insurers and public health programs to increase coverage and affordability, particularly in rural areas, to support the government's goal of 'Insurance for All by 2047'.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Substantial increase in capex critical to bridge gaps

Union Budget Expectations Live Updates: A substantial increase in capex is critical to bridge gaps in key sectors, according to Siraj Saiyed, Director, Arete Group. He feels that the Budget is expected to prioritise infrastructure and construction as the driving forces for India's economic momentum.

Expectations include: Development of industrial parks; and targeted infrastructure investments in roads, ports, and railways could further improve last-mile connectivity, supporting warehousing and e-commerce growth.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Emphasis on infra to continue, will stimulate growth

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Infrastructure will continue to be a focus point in this Budget, feels Pradeep Misra, CMD of Rudrabhishek Enterprises, adding that this will stimulate growth and create direct employment opportunities.

Expectations include: Policies to support 'export oriented MSMEs' by giving them benefits of Production Link Incentives (PLI scheme); investment in traditional infra segments like roads and highways, railways, energy and tourism, along with newer segments; attention towards requirement of data centres and renewable energy; expand scope of railways 'Kavach Scheme'; continue focus on affordable housing with next phase of PMAY; incentivisation of REIT & SM-REIT investments; emphasise smart industrial cities; strengthen PPP to give private players confidence in the infrastructure sector; and meet long-standing demand 'single window clearance'.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: 'Healthcare sector looks for reforms in shortcoming of flagship schemes Ayushman Bharat'

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: The healthcare sector is looking for reforms that address the shortcomings of flagship schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, according to Sahil Lakshmanan, Chief Business Officer of emergency medical digital lending platform CarePal Money.

Lakshmann noted that Ayushman Bharat has been instrumental in providing financial coverage to economically disadvantaged populations, but a significant issue persists — high-quality private hospitals are often reluctant to admit patients under the program. Only 43% of the hospitals empaneled under Ayushman Bharat are private. Many private hospitals cite low reimbursement rates and delayed payments as key barriers.

He also pointed out that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's allocation for 2024-25 stands at ₹90,959 crore, or 1.89% of the total budget—a decline from 2.3% in 2019-20. "To achieve equitable access to quality healthcare, the government must balance its focus between schemes like Ayushman Bharat and building a robust healthcare infrastructure. Establishing more high-quality, government-funded hospitals will reduce reliance on private institutions, address regional disparities, and create a sustainable, inclusive healthcare ecosystem," Lakshmann added.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: 'Budget offers opportunity to address critical gaps in healthcare'

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: The coming Budget allows the government to address critical gaps in the Indian healthcare system, according to Harish Trivedi, CEO, of Cancer Treatment Services International (CTSI).

A pressing need is the enhancement of healthcare accessibility in remote and underserved regions, Trivedi said, adding that they "strongly advocate" for increased investment in teleradiology services, which can provide timely and accurate diagnostic solutions to patients in rural and remote locations.

What are the other expectations? Integrating AI into healthcare for predictive analytics, optimising radiation therapy by identifying and protecting organs at risk during treatment; to reduce errors, and enable better clinical decision-making across healthcare facilities.

Further, investments in telemedicine infrastructure to make quality healthcare accessible in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and reduce dependency on urban centers; strengthening healthcare infrastructure in rural areas, are critical, he added.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: 'Unified GST for car rentals and ITC required'

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Ashok Vashist, Founder and CEO of cab service provider WTiCabs said that the current GST system allots multiple tax slabs — 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28% + cess for car leasing in India, and does not allow clients/end consumers to avail of Input Tax Credit (ITC) for such taxes. 

He noted that this type of taxation also makes car rentals more expensive for app-based aggregators, and leasing becomes costlier than bank funding due to GST being charged even on interest.

He wants the Budget to introduce a unified tax regime of 5% without ITC across all car rental and leasing products; besides a unified one-time or monthly state entry tax for all commercial vehicles, to simplify and boost the self-drive car rental business. Further, increased allocation for infrastructure development, including the accelerated rollout of 5G networks, would enhance connectivity and drive digital transformation across industries, he felt.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: 'Slew of reforms anticipated to push growth, boost economic activity'

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Akash Khurana, President and CEO of Krisumi Corporation expects that the Union Budget 2025 will introduce a slew of reforms to push growth, boost economic activity and bring efficiency to sectors, including real estate.

Real estate is among the largest contributors to India's GDP and Khurana believes that it could serve as a catalyst in augmenting growth. So, what are the expectations? Tax deduction on housing loans should be increased to ₹5 lakh per annum to propel the demand for housing; continued thrust on infrastructure development; and some incentive for green and eco-friendly housing to boost the supply of sustainable units.

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Nirmala Sitharaman's 8th Budget Speech, anticipations high

Union Budget 2025 Expectations Live Updates: Good morning and welcome to Livemint's live coverage ahead of the Union Budget 2025-26 due in February.

In Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's eighth Budget speech, the industry is expecting significant announcements ranging from income tax breaks, GST rationalisation, industry-specific policies and more, aimed at reviving the economy, the job market, and boosting consumer sentiments.

This will be Sitharaman's second full-fledged Budget in Modi 3.0, and her eighth budget presentation overall in Parliament. She has presented six annual and two interim budgets under the NDA government's consecutive terms in power.