<div id="readability-page-1"><div id="contentdata"> <div> Srinivas Rao Ravuri is the Chief Investment Officer at Bajaj Life Insurance</div> <div><div><ul><li>Budget math appears credible with modest estimates of tax receipts and expenditure</li><li>Budget reinforces India's trajectory as a resilient pillar of global economic growth</li><li>Budget positive from medium to long term prospective</li></ul></div></div> The Union Budget for FY 2026-27 serves as a strategic blueprint for India’s transition into a developed nation (&#34;Viksit Bharat&#34;) by 2047. By balancing a sustained capital outlay with disciplined fiscal targets, the government aims to strengthen macroeconomic stability while driving aggressive growth in infrastructure and manufacturing.The &#34;Three Kartavyas&#34; FrameworkThe budget is structured around a &#34;Three Kartavyas&#34; (Duties) philosophy designed to drive comprehensive national development:1. Accelerate and Sustain Growth: Enhancing productivity and building resilience against global dynamics.2. Fulfilling Aspirations: Building citizens' capacity through education, skilling, and healthcare.3. Inclusive Participation: Ensuring resources reach every family and regionFiscal Consolidation ContinuesThe government has maintained its steadfast path of fiscal consolidation, setting the fiscal deficit target at 4.3% of GDP for FY 2026-27, which marks further improvement from the estimate of 4.4% for FY26RE. The government is also working towards lowering its total debt as compared to the size of the economy. The goal is to bring this debt down to 50% of GDP by FY31. This year, they expect to make progress by reducing it to 55.6% vs 56.1% last year.To support this comprehensive development framework, the budget outlines borrowing and expenditure plan for the upcoming fiscal year. The Gross Market Borrowing is estimated at Rs 17.2 lakh crore, while the Net Market Borrowing has been set at Rs 11.7 lakh crore. These figures underpin a total projected expenditure of Rs 53.5 lakh crore, up 7.7% compared to FY26RE of Rs 49.6 lakh crore. Net tax receipts are anticipated to reach Rs 28.7 lakh crore up from Rs 26.7 lakh crore in FY26RE. The 7.2% growth estimate for net tax collections in FY27 appears credible as it is even lower than the 10% increase in nominal GDP growth expected in FY27.Capital expenditureIn the Union Budget 2026-27, the government has further accelerated its infrastructure-led growth strategy by increasing public capital expenditure (capex) to a record Rs 12.22 lakh crore for FY27. This represents an 11.5% increase over the previous year's revised estimates. Key drivers for this outlay include a significant Rs 2.8 lakh crore (10% up compared to previous year) allocation for Railways—supporting the development of seven new high-speed rail corridors—and Rs 2.9 lakh crore for Roads and Highways. Additionally, new financial frameworks like the Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund and dedicated REITs for recycling CPSE assets have been introduced to boost private developer confidence and sustain long-term investment momentum.Defence SpendingThe total allocation for defence increased by ~5% to reach Rs 6 lakh crore. A significant portion of this budget is dedicated to the Capital Outlay on Defense Services head, which has been pegged at Rs 2.19 lakh crore. This represents a sharp 17.6% jump in modernization funds compared to the previous year.The strategic focus of this expenditure is clearly defined by large-scale allocations for high-tech hardware. Specifically, the budget earmarks Rs 63,733 crore for the acquisition and maintenance of aircraft and aero engines, while Rs 25,023 crore has been allocated for the strengthening of the naval fleet and enhancing the operational readiness of the armed forces across air and maritime domains.Taxation and ComplianceWhile personal income tax slabs remained unchanged for FY 2026-27, the government has introduced reforms to simplify India's tax landscape, including a new Income Tax Act, 2025, which reduces sections from 819 to 536 for easier compliance. Key changes include slashing Tax Collected at Source on overseas remittances from 5–20% to a flat 2%, taxing share buyback proceeds as Capital Gains. The budget also provides a one-time 6-month window for small taxpayers and NRIs to disclose minor foreign assets without heavy penalties.Capital Markets and Sectoral ImpactsFor investors, the budget introduced several critical changes that are likely to impact trading costs and capital flows:* STT on F&amp;O: To curb excessive speculation, the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on Equity Futures was hiked to 0.05% (from 0.02%), and on Equity Options to 0.15% (from 0.1%) of the premium value.* NRI/PROI Investment: Individual investment limits for Persons Resident Outside India (PROI) in listed equities were doubled from 5% to 10%, with the aggregate cap per company raised to 24%.* Buyback Taxation: In a move favouring minority shareholders, buybacks will now be taxed as Capital Gains in the hands of the shareholder, while promoters face an additional buyback tax.* MAT Overhaul: Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) is proposed as a final tax with a reduced rate of 14% (down from 15%), with no further credit accumulation after April 1, 2026.Key HighlightsThe budget had specific measures that will go a long way in improving India’s physical and technological Infrastructure* Semiconductors &amp; Electronics Manufacturing: India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 announced and allocation for electronic component manufacturing scheme increased from Rs 22,900 crore to Rs 40,000 crore.* Biopharma SHAKTI (Strategy for Healthcare Advancement through Knowledge, Technology and Innovation) announced, with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore over the next 5 years to develop India as a global Biopharma manufacturing hub.* AI and Cloud: A tax holiday until 2047 was proposed for foreign companies providing global cloud services via Indian data centres.* High-Speed Rail: Seven new corridors were announced, including Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, and Delhi-Varanasi.* Inland Waterways: Plans to operationalise 20 new national waterways over five years and develop ship-repair ecosystems in Varanasi and Patna.ConclusionThough the measures announced in Budget are unlikely to have meaningful impact on any sector in the near term, it makes a calculated shift from short-term populism to long-term nation-building. By anchoring the economy with a 4.3% fiscal deficit target for FY27 along with sustained investments in capital expenditure, the government has provided a predictable and stable environment for investors.The budget math appears credible with modest estimates of tax receipts and expenditure. Ultimately, this budget reinforces India's trajectory as a resilient pillar of global economic growth. Overall, in our assessment, the budget is positive from medium to long term prospective.Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.</div></div>

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The Union Budget for FY 2026-27 aims to drive India's growth through fiscal discipline and increased capital expenditure, targeting a fiscal deficit of 4.3% of GDP. Key initiatives include a record Rs 12.22 lakh crore for public capex, with significant allocations for railways and roads. Defence spending rises by 5% to Rs 6 lakh crore, focusing on modernization. Tax reforms simplify compliance, while changes in capital markets affect trading costs and investment limits for NRIs. Overall, the budget supports India's transition to a developed nation by 2047, emphasizing infrastructure and inclusive growth.

- The Union Budget for FY 2026-27 aims to position India as a developed nation by 2047, focusing on fiscal consolidation with a target deficit of 4.3% of GDP.  
- Key allocations include an 11.5% increase in public capital expenditure to Rs 12.22 lakh crore, significant funding for railways and defense, and tax reforms for compliance improvement.  
- These measures are expected to enhance infrastructure and economic stability, reinforcing India's role as a resilient player in global growth despite limited short-term impacts.

Steady Budget: Driving growth through fiscal discipline and sustained capex