Decoding the Budget

Chairman, India and South East Asia, CBRE

Updated : Feb 7, 2017

Union Budget 2017: Special focus on Infrastructure and Affordable Housing

The Union Budget 2017 has struck a fine balance between being populist and bolstering private sector investments; with a special focus on infrastructure and affordable housing.

Amit Singhania, Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.

Updated : Feb 6, 2017

Budget Effect: Secondary adjustments to become a reality under Indian transfer pricing regime

Since introduction of transfer pricing (TP) provisions almost a decade and a half back, Indian TP landscape has been constantly evolving in order to keep pace with the economic realities of the world as well as the international best practices.

Updated : Feb 6, 2017

Has Budget laid foundation for another White Revolution?

The reason for the dip has been an almost 25 per cent increase in the input costs (such as green fodder and cattle feed), thanks to three consecutive years of drought in most parts of the country. Additionally, policies such as ban on cow slaughter have been a deterrent in milk production in states such as Maharashtra.

Updated : Feb 6, 2017

FM Arun Jaitley's divestment plan raises capital market ambitions

In last week's budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley set a Rs 72500 crore ($10.76 billion) target for divestment in the 12 months from April 1, up from a revised Rs 45500 crore  goal in the current fiscal year.

Updated : Feb 3, 2017

Budget 2017-18: Subsidies rise by 5 per cent

It is a significant increase as the government has not seen more than 2 per cent rise in its actual spending for subsidies since 2013/14. However, the year 2013/14 saw a decline of 1 per cent in its actual spending compared to the previous year under this head.

Updated : Feb 2, 2017

Budget 2017: Four proposals that would make start-ups smile

The budget document has just one paragraph on "start-ups" and three references. But a closer examination highlights a lot more. Here are some of them:

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Pharma sector finds budget 'safe' but not path breaking

The Indian pharmaceutical industry has for the past couple of years complained that it tends to get more or less ignored in the budget, and though there were references to the sector this time, not many see them as  bold or hugely impactful or transformational.

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Budget 2017: Rural Consumption may revive but CPG companies have a task in hand

The Union Budget 2017 will finally give the consumer goods companies a reason to smile. Just when they thought that consumption was looking up, thanks to normal monsoons last year (after three consecutive years of drought), the demonetisation paralysed their growth further, with sales dipping anywhere between 15-25 per cent. 

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Budget Electoral Funding Cap: Clean and cashless India, not yet!

With as much talk about 'need to cleanse the system of political funding in India', the government was found wanting in its commitment. By capping the maximum amount of cash donation to a political party to Rs 2,000 in the Budget 2017, the government just paid lip service to one the biggest loopholes in electoral funding - cash donations. Interestingly, political parties themselves have become a convenient parking place for black money.

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Some succour for small firms but no reduction in corporate tax disappoints industry

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday sought to provide some relief to small corporates by reducing income tax for those with annual turnover up to Rs 50 crore by 5 per cent to 25 per cent but dithered on reducing the headline corporate tax rate of 25 per cent disappointing the industry at large.