BUDGET ALLOCATIONS

Maharashtra budget: Subsidy for milk producers to continue, nod for 18 medical colleges

Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presented Maharashtra's budget for 2024-25, highlighting key initiatives including the extension of a Rs 5 per litre subsidy for milk producers and plans to establish 18 new medical colleges. This budget, the last before assembly elections, also focuses on agricultural infrastructure, women's empowerment, and healthcare expansion across the state.

Maharashtra budget 2024 key highlights: Free cylinders & farmer friendly measures

Maharashtra budget 2024: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar presented the state budget during the ongoing monsoon session from June 27 to July 12. Key highlights include the provision of three free cylinders annually to all households under the CM Anna Chhatra Yojana, a Rs 5,000 per hectare bonus for cotton and soybean farmers, and a Rs 5 per litre bonus to milk-producing farmers after July 1, 2024.

Sharpen focus on education and health this Budget, experts urge FM

Although the pandemic is behind us, the focus on the health sector shouldn't be diluted, he added. There were also suggestions to tightly monitor the implementation of all such social sector schemes, he added. Facilities at schools and hospitals need to be further improved and vacancies filled up on time, some of them said in the meeting. In the interim Budget for FY25 in February, the government had pegged the outlay for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at ₹90,659 crore, up marginally from the FY24 budget estimate of ₹89,155 crore. This outlay also includes spending on health research.

Who will present Budget 2024 and how is it prepared?

Union Budget 2024: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her seventh consecutive Union Budget since 2019, joining a distinguished group of finance ministers who have delivered at least five consecutive Union Budgets. This year's budget will be the first full budget presented as part of Modi 3.0, with a notable shift to a paperless format. The budget-making process typically begins in September, over six months before the presentation date, generally on February 1. The Finance Ministry issues budget-related circulars to various entities, including states, Union Territories, Union Ministries, Defense forces, government departments, and autonomous bodies.

Which are the best asset classes to own over 1-year, 3-year & 5 years? Nilesh Shah answers

Nilesh Shah says up to one year, he will recommend an arbitrage fund for a high taxpayer or debt funds, money market funds and short-term bond funds where one could have the limited benefit of a drop in interest rates. Between one to three years, one can go towards longer duration bond funds. Post-budget, one can also look at investment in precious metal.

Jigar Mistry on five sectors where investors can allocate fresh capital

Mutual funds, if you look at the smallcap number of folios, that has gone up 4x in under three years. We have now more smallcap folios than midcap or largecap number of folios.

How is the Budget prepared: Insights and expectations for this year

The Indian Union Budget preparation is a meticulous process overseen by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), involving NITI Aayog and other ministries. It begins around August-September, culminating in the February 1 presentation, in a non-General Election year. Defined by Article 112 of the Constitution, it forecasts revenues and expenditures, balancing fiscal prudence with developmental goals through circular issuance, revenue scrutiny, stakeholder consultations, allocation decisions, and the symbolic Halwa Ceremony.

Budget wishlist from agriculture & MSMEs stakeholders: Sops, infra push, easy loans and PLI schemes

Stakeholders from the agricultural sector and MSMEs provided key suggestions to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during pre-budget consultations. Suggestions included rationalizing fertilizer subsidies, boosting agricultural infrastructure investment, and implementing employee-centric production-linked incentive schemes.

Budget 2024: India looks for infra push; may tap funds from UK, Saudi & Japan

In the upcoming Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to prioritise infrastructure investment to boost demand for steel, cement, and create jobs. The Indian government eyes funding from the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Japan for specific projects like roads and highways. Investor concerns, equity offerings, and environmental considerations are key factors in attracting investments.

Why the Government needs a Budget: Understanding the importance and role

Union Budget 2024: Any political party that assumes government, whether through majority or coalition, in India shoulders significant responsibilities towards society, politics, and the economy. It is crucial to allocate resources in a manner that facilitates progress in a country as diverse as India, with its rich cultural, religious, and economic diversity.

Budget 2024: Five steps of India's Budget formation explained

Budget 2024: The Union Budget, crafted annually by the Department of Economic Affairs within the Ministry of Finance, functions as a comprehensive financial blueprint for the nation. It details projected revenues and expenditures for the forthcoming fiscal year. The preparation process for Budget 2024 commenced six months ahead of its presentation, initiating with the dissemination of Budget Circulars to pertinent ministries and departments.

Budget 2024 FAQs: Quick guide on how to read and understand the Budget

Budget 2024 FAQs: The Budget acts as a detailed plan outlining the government's anticipated income and spending for a fiscal year, covering from April 1 to March 31 of the subsequent year. This financial blueprint is pivotal in defining the nation's economic priorities and allocating resources accordingly. After the finance minister delivers the budget speech in the Lok Sabha, these essential documents are promptly uploaded to the official website, ensuring quick and widespread access to critical financial information.

Don't scrimp on train travel safety

More than 22 million Indians travel daily in over 13,000 passenger trains, emphasizing the importance of safety measures in the wake of the Sealdah Kanchanjungha Express incident and the limited operationality of the anti-collision system, Kavach.

Subsidy allocation likely to stay at Interim Budget mark of Rs 4.1 lakh crore

The Centre aims to reduce the fiscal deficit to 5.1% of GDP, with allocations for food and fertiliser subsidies slightly lower than previous estimates. Plans include reducing dependency on imports for better fertiliser subsidy management.

ETMarkets Smart Talk: There will be FOMO among long only FIIs in Modi 3.0: Sorbh Gupta

On the day of the result, the market experienced increased volatility. But we anticipate that this volatility will lessen over the coming days and that the market's attention will eventually switch to macro and solid fundamentals, which continue to remain strong.

Pakistan's budgetary allocation for defence falls to 1.7 per cent of its GDP

Pakistan allocates Rs 2,122 billion for defense in 2024-25, 1.7% of GDP, consistent with previous year. Defence spending as % of GDP has decreased since 2020. Key military acquisitions funded separately, obscuring exact spending.

Sanjiv Bhasin picks 3 sectors that may outperform in near term

​The overall benign environment remains that you have to be a little neutral over here. I think technology, pharma and FMCG -- those are the favoured sector on seasonality, on US cues, and on local demographics.

Over half of Aramco share sale allocated to foreign investors: Sources

​ Saudi Arabia placed over half of an $11.2 billion share sale in Aramco with foreign investors, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Saturday. Saudi Arabia has been seeking to lure international investment to pour tens of billions of dollars into projects to diversify away from its reliance on oil. Yet foreign investment has repeatedly missed targets.

Why is it right time to reshuffle your portfolio? Feroze Azeez answers

​Now if you come to the contemporary situation that general election is over, the mandate of the new government is also reasonably clear, the NDA is going to form a government in 99% of the situations, which is going to be a stable government because you have 292 seats on a pre-poll alliance, UPA 1, UPA 2 also you would not see one single party having a majority greater than 272, 273, so it is a stable government, that is one thing behind us now.

How should investors reshuffle their portfolio? Arnav Pandya answers

There are two things. One is that there is political posturing which obviously happens because they are going to go into a negotiation. But till the date on which that swearing can happens, the ministers take oath, all this is just in the whole realm of speculation, so one should not make any investment decisions based on this. The second part here and which is the important thing is that if you look closely at what Mr Narendra Modi said in the victory speech, it is very clear that the road to Viksit Bharat, he said, will continue.

Infra mutual funds among top winners in last 5 years of Modi government

Infrastructure sector-based mutual funds, including Quant Infrastructure Fund, Invesco India PSU Equity Fund, and Nippon India Power & Infra Fund, have been top winners in the last five years of the Modi government, offering impressive absolute returns up to 380%.

Congress wants budget allocation on basis of religion, were going to allocate 15% to Muslims: PM Modi

PM Modi accused Congress of wanting to allocate 15% of the budget for Muslims in a Mumbai rally, emphasizing unity over religious division, and criticizing Dr Manmohan Singh, INDI alliance, and Rahul Gandhi for playing politics over religion. He also mentioned Karnataka and the sudden inclusion of Muslims in the OBC quota.

PM Modi alleges SP-Congress' plan to allocate 15% of budget to 'minority'