HIGHLIGHTS

DEL110 BUD-TAX HOLIDAY-DATACENTRES 3.02 PM AI booster Budget offers tax holiday for global cloud firms using Indian data centres New Delhi The Union Budget on Sunday proposed a tax holiday till 2047 for foreign companies that provide cloud services to customers globally using data centres located in India, signalling the governments push to make the country a major hub for AI and digital infrastructure.

Following are the top stories at 5 pm: NATION MDS22 BUD-MSME(R) (3.57 PM) **** Budget lacks specific announcements for MSMEs: Association of Indian Entrepreneurs Chennai: The Association of Indian Entrepreneurs, representing the MSMEs, on Sunday said the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lacks specific announcements for the micro, small and medium enterprises, which was highly expected. **** DEL139 BUD-2NDLD CONG (4.28 PM) **** Budget lacklustre, disappointing, blind to India's real crises: Cong New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday described the Union Budget as ''totally lacklustre'' and blind to India's real crises, saying it did not offer any solution to the country's economic, social and political challenges. **** DEL102 BUD-CONG-RAHUL (2.45 PM) **** Budget blind to India's real crises: Rahul Gandhi New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the Union Budget for 2026-27 is ''blind to India's real crises'', and highlighted how the youth are without jobs, manufacturing is falling and farmers are in distress. **** DEL136 BUD-TEMPLE TOWNS (4.18 PM) **** Budget: Govt to focus on tier II, III cities, temple towns which need modern infrastructure, says FM New Delhi: Describing cities as India's ''engines'' of growth, innovation, and opportunities, the government on Sunday announced that it shall now ''focus on tier II and tier III cities, and even temple towns'', which need modern infrastructure and basic amenities. **** DEL118 BUD-FM (3.23 PM) **** Highest-ever capex of Rs 12.22 lakh crore in FY27, 4.4 pc of GDP: Sitharaman New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said the highest-ever capital expenditure of Rs 12.22 lakh crore announced for 2026-27 works out to be 4.4 per cent of GDP. **** DEL130 BUD-DEF-LD-ALLOCATION (4.04 PM) **** Defence budget pegged at Rs 7.85 lakh cr; 15 per cent increase over current fiscal New Delhi: India on Sunday set aside Rs 7,84,678 crore as defence outlay for 2026-27 over the current fiscal's allocation of Rs 6.81 lakh crore with a major increase in capital expenditure as the military focuses on modernisation in the face of security challenges from China and Pakistan. **** DEL129 BUD-CHEAPER-EXPENSIVE ITEMS (4.03 PM) **** Cancer drugs, Microwave Ovens to be cheaper; imported umbrellas, ATMs to be costlier New Delhi: As many as 17 cancer drugs, along with medicines and food for special medical needs for seven rare diseases, as well as components used in microwave ovens, will become cheaper following Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement of customs duty cuts in the Union Budget 2026–27, presented in Parliament on Sunday. **** DEL112 BUD-PERSONNEL (3.09 PM) **** Budget: Centre earmarks Rs 299 cr for training of babus, Rs 65 cr outlay for administrative reforms New Delhi: As many as Rs 299 crore have been earmarked for the next fiscal to train government employees, both in the country and abroad, and augment necessary training related to infrastructure, according to the Union Budget 2026-27 presented on Sunday. **** DEL110 BUD-TAX HOLIDAY-DATACENTRES (3.02 PM) **** AI booster: Budget offers tax holiday for global cloud firms using Indian data centres New Delhi: The Union Budget on Sunday proposed a tax holiday till 2047 for foreign companies that provide cloud services to customers globally using data centres located in India, signalling the government's push to make the country a major hub for AI and digital infrastructure. **** DEL85 BUD-MEA-CHABAHAR (2.13 PM) **** No allocation for Chabahar port project in Union Budget New Delhi: In a departure from the past, India has not allocated any funds for the Chabahar port project in its Union Budget, a move that came against the backdrop of Washington's fresh sanctions on Iran. **** MDS11 BUD-TN-ANNOUNCEMENTS (2.46 PM) **** In Budget, Nirmala Sitharaman announces rare earth corridor for Tamil Nadu Chennai: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced schemes in the Union Budget for Tamil Nadu including high speed rail links for Chennai, ecologically sustainable mountain trail in Podhigai Malai in the Western Ghats and a rare earth corridor. **** BOM13 MH-NCP-MERGER-FADNAVIS (3.31 PM) **** Would Ajit Pawar seal NCP merger without informing BJP? asks Fadnavis Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday asserted that if the NCP merger discussions had been in their final stages, then the late Ajit Pawar would have shared it with him. **** CAL35 AS-BUD-LD PROPOSALS (4.38 PM) **** Assam to benefit from thrust on Tier-2 & 3 cities, Buddhist Circuit in Union Budget: Officials Guwahati: Assam is expected to benefit from the Union Budget's thrust on infrastructure development of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, as well as the announcement of Buddhist Circuits, officials said. **** CAL24 WB-BUDGET-POLITICS-LD ELECTIONS (3.31 PM) **** Union Budget turns election spotlight on Bengal with freight corridors, industry push Kolkata: As West Bengal braces for a fiercely contested Assembly election, the Union Budget presented on Sunday has unmistakably strayed into campaign territory, rolling out high-visibility infrastructure proposals that the ruling TMC dismissed as a ''political signalling tool'' rather than a credible fiscal commitment. **** CAL23 WB-BUD-LD MAMATA (3.27 PM) **** Nothing for common man, Bengal in 'directionless' Budget: Mamata Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday described the Union Budget for 2026-27 as ''directionless and visionless'', claiming that it had nothing to offer to the common man and her state. **** DEL146 BUD-LD PM (4.47 PM) **** PM says Budget 'ambitious', 'futuristic'; focus on growth while lowering fiscal deficit, controlling inflation New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday described the Budget 2026-27 as ''ambitious'' and ''futuristic'', stressing that it will further strengthen India's global role as its 140 crore citizens are not satisfied with being the fastest growing economy and the nation is determined to soon become the world's third largest economy. **** LEGAL LGD5 SC-WANGCHUK (2.50 PM) **** SC to hear plea challenging Sonam Wangchuk's detention New Delhi: The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday a plea filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, the wife of jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, against his detention under the National Security Act. **** LGD4 SC-SWAMINATHAN-REMARKS (1.07 PM) **** Deepam row: Cases registered for remarks against Justice Swaminathan, TN DGP tells SC New Delhi: Tamil Nadu DGP has told the Supreme Court that police have taken necessary action and cases have been registered against protesters who allegedly made caste and religion-based defamatory remarks against Justice G R Swaminathan of Madras High Court following his order allowing the lighting of 'Karthigai Deepam' oil lamp on the Thirupparankundram hill in Madurai. **** FOREIGN FGN13 TRUMP-VENEZUELA-INDIA-OIL (10.58 PM) **** India to buy Venezuelan oil instead of Iranian crude, claims Trump New York: US President Donald Trump has claimed that India will be purchasing oil from Venezuela instead of Iran. By Yoshita Singh **** FGN27 CHINA-XI-YUAN (3.17 PM) **** Xi calls for building 'strong' yuan to boost global role, challenge dollar dominance Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping has pitched for building a ''strong currency'' to expand the global use of the yuan and elevate it to the status of an international reserve, a move seen as a call to challenge the US dollar. ****

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