businessline’s Raghuvir Srinivasan and Aarati Krishnan discuss the 2025-2026 Union Budget. Raghuvir notes a shift in strategy from public expenditure to boosting consumption via tax breaks for the middle class. Aarati questions assumptions behind the Budget numbers, citing a projected 14% personal tax growth compared with the previous year’s 5.89%. Raghuvir acknowledges concerns but points to non-tax revenues and RBI dividends as potential shock absorbers. They also discuss increased allocations to schemes like PM Ayushman Bharat and Jal Jeevan Mission, noting the potential for underspending. The increase in capital gains tax on FIIs from 10% to 12.5% is also mentioned as a possible factor. The discussion concludes with an acknowledgement of the Budget’s balanced nature and hope for successful revenue generation.

Related Topics