Budget 2021 speech highlights: IPO of LIC to come in 2021-22, says FM

Highlight91:Budget will bring several positive changes for individuals, investors, industry and infrastructure sector: Modi#

Highlight90:This Budget talks of all-round development for all parts of country; Record increase in allocation for infrastructure building, says PM#

Highlight89: It's a pro-active budget that gives boost to wealth as well as wellness: PM Modi#

Highlight88:This was one of rare Budget speeches that elicited so many positive reactions from experts within 1-1.5 years#

Highlight87:Budget contains vision of self-reliance as well as inclusiveness, says PM Modi#

Highlight86: No change in income tax rates, 80C and 80D limits#

Highlight85:Customs duty on cotton, raw silk raised#

Highlight84:Customs duty on certain auto parts, solar equipment raised#

Highlight83:Rationalising customs duties on gold and silver: FM#

Highlight82:Govt proposes to review over 400 old exemptions in indirect taxes; to begin extensive consultation from October 2021#

Highlight81:Tax holiday for startups extended by 1 yr; exemption on capital gains on investment in startups extended by 1 yr#

Highlight80:FM Nirmala Sitharaman tables 15th Finance Commission report in Lok Sabha#

Highlight79:FM proposes to impose import duty on components of mobile phones and chargers, to enhance local value addition#

Highlight78:Agri infra cess of Rs 2.5 per litre on petrol and Rs 4 per litre on diesel proposed#

Highlight77:Government estimates fiscal deficit of 6.8 per cent of the GDP in the next financial year beginning April 1#

Highlight76:Customs duty on certain auto parts, solar equipment raised#

Highlight75:Govt proposes to review over 400 old exemptions in indirect taxes; to begin extensive consultation from October 2021#

Highlight74:Coronavirus pandemic relief steps led to rise in expenditure to Rs 34.50 lakh crore in the current fiscal as against Rs 30.42 lakh crore budgeted a year ago#

Highlight73:Rs 1.5 lakh deduction on payment of interest for affordable housing extended by 1 year#

Highlight72:Govt proposes to ease norms to attract more foreign investment in infrastructure sector#

Highlight71:Gross market borrowings target of Rs 12 lakh crore for FY 22#

Highlight70:Record GST collections in last few months; govt to take every possible measure to reduce anomalies: FM#

Highlight69:Tax holiday for startups extended by 1 yr; exemption on capital gains on investment in startups extended by 1 yr#

Highlight68:Fiscal deficit for FY21 pegged at 9.5% of GDP#

Highlight67:No need for senior citizens above 75 years with only pension, interest income to file ITR#

Highlight66:Income tax return filers increased to 6.48 cr in 2020 from 3.31 cr in 2014#

Highlight65:States to get 41% share of taxes as per 15th Finance Commission recommendation; govt has accepted the recommendation#

Highlight64:FM allocates Rs 3,726 cr for forthcoming Census which will be the first digital census#

Highlight63:Seven port projects worth more than Rs 2,000 crore investment announced#

Highlight62:Rs 1,500 cr earmarked for scheme to incentivise digital payments#

Highlight61:One nation, one ration card plan under implementation in 32 states, 1 union territory#

Highlight60:Govt to infuse Rs 20,000 crore into public sector banks in 2021-22: FM#

Highlight59:Govt to soon put in place a framework to allow electricity consumers choose service providers or discoms: FM#

Highlight58:Farmers paid Rs 75,100 crore on wheat MSP in FY21#

Highlight57:The MSP regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities: FM#

Highlight56:Govt committed to the welfare of farmers#

Highlight55:Ujjwala scheme will be expanded to over 1 crore more beneficiaries#

Highlight54:FM proposes record sum of Rs 1,10,055 crore for Railways of which Rs 1,07,100 crores is for capital expenditure#

Highlight53:Two PSBs and one general insurance company to be divested, legislations amendments to be introduced in this session#

Highlight52:FM says NITI Aayog to be asked to work on next list of CPSEs for disinvestment#

Highlight51:FM announces voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and polluting vehicles#

Highlight50:FY22 divestment target set at Rs 1.75 lakh crore#

Highlight49:All divestments announced so far will be carried out in 2021-22#

Highlight48:IPO of LIC to come in 2021-22, says FM#

Highlight47:FM proposes capital expenditure at Rs 5.54 lakh crore, 34% higher than last year#

Highlight46:FM proposes introduction of Aatmanirbhar health programme with an outlay of Rs 64,180 cr#

Highlight45:India now has one of the lowest COVID19 death rates of 112 per million population and one of the lowest active cases of about 130 per million, says FM#

Highlight44:Budget proposals rest on 6 pillars, including health and well-being; physical and financial capital: FM#

Highlight43:This Budget will be the first of this new decade. Budget 2021 will also be a digital budget, says FM#

Highlight42:Rs 35,000 crore more allocated to Covid 19 vaccines in 2021-22, committed to providing more funds, says FM#

Highlight41:It has added comfort to know that 2 more Covid vaccines are also expected soon#

Highlight40:The PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, the three Aatma Nirbhar Bharat packages and subsequent announcements were like five mini-budgets in themselves, says FM#

Highlight39:Govt fully prepared to support and facilitate economic reset, says Sitharaman#

Highlight38:Preparation of this Budget was taken under circumstances like never before, says FM#

Highlight37:Higher deductions on housing loans are likely to be announced in FM's Budget speech#

Highlight36:Budget copies will be disseminated electronically, with documents being uploaded on the government website as well as being made available on a special app#

Highlight35:Rupee rises 7 paise to 72.89 against US dollar in early trade#

Highlight34:Establishment of a bad bank to clean up banks' balance sheets is likely to be announced#

Highlight33:The budget will come as an economic vaccine for the pandemic-battered economy, said the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC)#

Highlight32: Sensex surges 443 pts to 46,728 in opening trade, Nifty up 114 pts at 13,749#

Highlight31:More support to real estate sector is expected from the government, especially affordable housing segment#

Highlight30:Arun Singh, Global Chief Economist at Dun and Bradstreet said a big bang package of reforms is on the anvil in Budget#

Highlight29:The government is expected to disclose revenue from the privatisation of companies such as BPCL, Air India and Shipping Corporation of India#

Highlight28:This is the ninth budget under the Modi government, including an interim one#

Highlight27:GST collections hit all-time high of about Rs 1.20 lakh crore in January on resumption of economic activities#

Highlight26: Health infra, demand revival, banking sector reforms, fiscal consolidation and implementation of 15th Finance Commission report need to be addressed in Budget, said Brickwork Ratings#

Highlight25: India Ratings and Research sees fiscal deficit at over 7% in the current fiscal as against budget target of 3.5 per cent#

Highlight24: India Ratings and Research has projected Rs 60,000-crore revenue shortfall in the fiscal year ending March 31#

Highlight23: Market borrowings are expected to remain elevated and external deficit financing would increase, according to experts#

Highlight22: The annual GDP for FY21 will decline by 7-8 per cent, one of the weakest performances among developing nations, say economists#

Highlight21: Tax relief measures for pandemic-hit sectors such as real estate, aviation, tourism and auto are expected#

Highlight20:PM Narendra Modi has said budget will be in continuation of government efforts to revive sectors impacted by pandemic#

Highlight19:The government expects the economy to grow at 11% in next fiscal fiscal#

Highlight18: The economy is projected to contract 7.7% in the current fiscal year#

Highlight17:A hike in infrastructure spending is on anvil to put economy on high-growth path#

Highlight16: Sensex has scaled the key 50,000 mark ahead of Budget on January 21. However, profit booking has taken index back to 46K  level#

Highlight15:The govt may impose Covid-19 cess for high-income earners to earn revenue from income tax#

Highlight14: The government could focus more on offering incentives to private investments for public infrastructure development#

Highlight13:The pharmaceutical sector is expecting more reduction in duties to bring down the prices of medicines#

Highlight12: Expenditure on health sector is also likely to be raised amid the challenges posed by pandemic#

Highlight11: Government is expected to focus on growth instead of containing fiscal deficit to put the pandemic-hit economy back on on growth path#

Highlight10: Middle class hit by Covid 19 pandemic expects government to announce measures to help increase its savings#

Highlight9: Government is expected to announce steps to further boost the economy and create jobs#

Highlight8:Finance minister is likely to announce raising of exemption limit under section 80C to Rs 2 lakh#

Highlight7: Upper limit on health insurance premiums under Section 80D is likely to be raised#

Highlight6:Centre could also make provisions for Covid-19 related expenses#

Highlight5:Tax deduction toward increased health expenses on account of Covid-19 is expected#

Highlight4:Centre's fiscal deficit is also going to swell to double of the 3.5 per cent of the GDP projected in February 2020#

Highlight3:Relief on income tax front is unlikely since coronavirus pandemic has badly affected government's finances#

Highlight2:Narendra Modi government to present its first Budget amid tough times of Covid-19 pandemic#

Highlight1: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her third consecutive Union Budget in Parliament on February 1, 2021#