Check out the highlights from Budget 2024:
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the Union Budget 2024-25 in parliament today, marking the first budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term in office. The budget outlines nine key priorities aimed at creating ample opportunities for all. On the macroeconomic front, FM Sitharaman has reduced the fiscal deficit target for FY25 to 4.5%. Additionally, she introduced a revised income tax structure under the new regime and increased the long-term capital gains tax.
The revised tax rate under the New Tax Regime as follows:
₹0-3 lakh – nil tax
₹3-7 lakh – 5%
₹7-10 lakh – 10%
₹10-12 lakh – 15%
₹12-15 lakh – 20%
Above ₹15 lakh – 30%
Highlights from Budget:
- Employment and Skilling:
Five schemes to focus on 4.1 crore youth over 5 years with a central outlay of ₹2 lakh crore
Comprehensive internship scheme for one crore youth in top companies over five years
Employment-linked incentives, including one month’s wage support for first-time employees
Women-specific skilling programs and increased workforce participation
- MSME and Manufacturing Support:
Special attention to MSMEs and the manufacturing sector
Credit guarantee scheme and term loans for machinery purchase
Technology support package for MSMEs
SIDBI to open 24 new branches to serve MSME clusters
- Financial Initiatives:
Mudra loan limit increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh for previous borrowers
Financial support for higher education loans up to ₹10 lakhs in domestic institutions
Integrated technology system for Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)
- Agriculture and Rural Development:
₹2.66 lakh crore provision for rural development
Transformation of agricultural research to focus on productivity and climate-resilient crop varieties
Initiative to introduce 1 crore farmers to natural farming over 2 years
- Infrastructure and Regional Development:
Rental housing in PPP mode for industrial workers
Special financial support of ₹15,000 crore for Andhra Pradesh
New airports, medical facilities, and sports infrastructure for Bihar
- Economic Outlook:
Inflation moving towards 4% target
India’s economic growth described as a “shining exception”
Focus on job creation and boosting consumption, potentially benefiting consumer goods, real estate, and auto sectors
- Nine Priority Areas: Agriculture, Employment, Inclusive Development, Manufacturing and Services, Urban Development, Energy, Infrastructure, Innovation and R&D, and Next Generation Reforms.
- Women-Led Development: Over ₹3 lakh crore allocated for schemes benefiting women and girls.
- Social Welfare: Extension of PMGKAY (Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana) for five years, benefiting over 80 crore people
- Digital and Technological Advancements: Development of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) applications for credit, e-commerce, law and justice, and corporate governance.
- Budget 2024 has proposed a significant change regarding the buy-back of shares. Under the new proposal, income from buy-back of shares by companies will be taxable in the hands of the recipient investor as a dividend, replacing the current regime where additional income tax is levied on the company. Additionally, the cost of such shares will be considered a capital loss for the investor.
- Short term gains tax on specified financial assets raised to 20% from 15%, while that on all other financial assets and non-financial assets shall continue to attract the applicable tax rate.
- Long term gains tax on all financial and non-financial assets raised to 12.5%. It is proposed to increase the limit of exemption of capital gains on certain listed financial assets from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.25 lakh per year.
