Budget 2026: What gets cheaper, what gets costlier after today’s announcements

The Union Budget 2026 has brought relief for travellers, students, exporters and clean-energy sectors, while tightening the screws on tax non-compliance and speculative trading. Here’s a quick breakdown of what becomes cheaper and what will cost more after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcements today. 

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What gets cheaper after Union Budget 2026 

Overseas Travel & Education 

• Overseas tourism packages: Tax Collected at Source (TCS) slashed to 2% from 5-20%, making foreign holidays more affordable. 
• Foreign education expenses: Lower Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) for education-related payments, easing costs for students studying abroad. 

Industry, Manufacturing & Exports 

• Alcoholic liquor scrap and select minerals: Customs duty cut to 2% from 5%. 
• Shoe upper exports: Duty-free imports allowed for export-oriented production. 
• Capital goods for critical minerals: Basic Customs Duty (BCD) fully exempt. 
• Components and parts for civilian aircraft manufacturing: BCD exempt, boosting India’s aviation manufacturing push. 

Energy & Green Transition 

• Energy transition equipment: BCD exempt to support clean energy adoption. 
• Solar glass ingredients: BCD exempt, lowering costs for domestic solar manufacturing. 
• Goods for nuclear power projects: BCD exempt, aiding large-scale power infrastructure. 

Healthcare & Essentials 

• Drugs for rare diseases and cancer: Full BCD exemption to improve affordability. 
• Fish catch by Indian fishermen in Indian waters: BCD exempt, benefiting coastal livelihoods. 

Consumer Imports 

• Microwave ovens: BCD exempt, potentially lowering retail prices. 
• Personal-use imports: Customs duty reduced to 10% from 20%, offering relief to individual importers. 

What gets costlier after Union Budget 2026 

Tax & Compliance 

• Income tax misreporting: Penalty increased sharply to 100% of the tax amount, signalling zero tolerance for evasion. 
• Non-disclosure of movable assets: Now attracts a penalty, expanding the compliance net. 

Stock Market Trading 

• Stock options and futures trading: Securities Transaction Tax (STT) raised to 0.05% from 0.02%, increasing costs for active derivatives traders. 

Budget 2026 focuses on lowering costs for growth-driving sectors like manufacturing, clean energy, healthcare and education, while discouraging tax evasion and speculative trading. For households, students and travellers, there’s tangible relief — but market participants and non-compliant taxpayers will feel the pinch.