The 'Make in India' programme was a major initiative that the Modi government had embarked on during 2014.

The upcoming budget is likely to provide a boost to the infrastructure sector and job creation. Government is likely to provide a higher allocation to road, power, telecom and IT ministries. Companies in infrastructure space are likely to benefit as increased capital spending will improve order books, top line and profits.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said the government has moved a proposal to infuse additional grant of Rs 88,139 crore - total Rs 80,000 crore through Recap Bonds and Rs 8,139 crore as budgetary support - for 2018 under the public sector banks recapitalisation plan.

Every Union Budget opened new policies, new rules for the people of India, but a few brought in drastic changes in the ways India functioned. As we wait for Union Budget 2018-19, we look at some budgets those changed India's economy

The one fun thing in India's licence raj era was that you could earn tax free income from betting on horse races. Watch the video for more such fun facts about the budget.

Indian government has launched various key initiatives like Invest India, Make In India, clean India, digital India, e-visa, visa on arrival, Atitihi Devo Bhava, Incredible India and various other programs which has helped the hospitality industry of India in attracting more international tourists.

The single-tax regime in India ushered in additional cost pressure on real estate.

The central government could give many gifts in the area of health during announcement of this year's Union Budget on February 1. Sources say Finance Minister Arun Jaitley could allot Rs 1,200 crore to open health and wellness centres across the country.

Government is likely to focus on strengthening the rural sector in the upcoming Union Budget on 1st February 2018.

After the rollout of GST, significant powers now vest with the GST Council to notify this tax. Keeping that in mind, the upcoming budget is unlikely to foresee any significant amendment in indirect taxes, barring customs duty related proposals.

The Petroleum Ministry has moved a proposal to reduce excise duty on the two fuels as part of the pre-Budget memorandum submitted to the Finance Ministry.

There are a lot of expectations from Budget 2018 and the common man is hoping that with a number of fiscal reforms already in place, and with direct tax collections up post the demonetization period, the government would provide some relief in personal taxes.

Recent Union Budgets have focussed significantly on social security measures with the objective of moving towards a universal social security system for all, especially the poor and the underprivileged.

Gains in global markets after US lawmakers passed a short-term measure to fund the federal government through February 8, ending a three-day government shutdown, also boosted investor sentiment.

Corporate bodies have started putting forward their expectations, the foremost being rationalisation of tax rates and withdrawal of surcharge and cess on Income Tax. The proposal of the Finance Minister, in the Budget of 2015-16, to reduce the tax rate from 30% to 25% in four years and reduction in the US tax rates are the reasons why the corporates are hoping for tax rate cut.

If whispers are to be believed, the coming Budget will be Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's most populist one yet. He is widely expected to hike the personal income tax exemption limit-and some are optimistically predicting that the ceiling will be pushed up to Rs 5 lakh-so India waits with bated breath.

According to reports on budget expectations, the government is considering to increase the tenure of short term capital gains (STCG) by over 2 years in the Union Budget that will be presented on 1st February 2018.

Arun Jaitley came out all guns blazing in his maiden Budget speech in Parliament on July 10, 2014. To begin with, he raised the income tax exemption limit from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh for individual taxpayers below the age of 60.

The SBI's Ecowrap report said that if the exemption limit of interest payments under housing loan is increased to Rs 2.5 lakhs for existing home loan buyers, from Rs 2 lakhs now, it will benefit 75 lakh home loan buyers and cost the government just about Rs 7,500 crore.

While the Sensex was trading 180 points higher at 35,978, Nifty was up 53 points at 11,019 level. The Nifty hit an all time high of 11,030 level intra day in early trade. Sensex hit an all time high of 36,017 level.