Budget 2021: The biggest challenges facing Nirmala Sitharaman, in 10 charts

• The Finance Minister needs a foolproof plan to help revive the twin cycles of capex and credit. A sustained recovery in jobs, incomes, and domestic demand depends critically on a pickup in fresh loans and investments

Budget 2021: India likely to double health spending next fiscal year

The new healthcare plan is likely to be unveiled on Feb. 1 when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the country's budget for 2020/21.

Budget 2021: Auto industry demands rationalisation of tax, scrappage policy

The Indian auto industry has just started to witnessing some recovery after months of low demand

Budget 2021: Govt may not use FY21 as the base for allocations

• Centre may use FY20 as base year for FY22 allocation, says FinMin official
• Former chief statistician Pronab Sen said FY22 budget should signal a return to the normal

Infra cos hope Budget can promise lower input costs, incentives to investors

• Over the last few months, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government will continue to spend on building infrastructure to ensure a sustainable economic revival

Budget 2021: Govt may tweak customs duties on host of goods

The government may tweak customs duties in the Budget next week on several goods, including furniture raw materials, copper scrap, certain chemicals, telecom equipment and rubber products, to promote domestic manufacturing and exports

Separate deduction beyond 80C for principal repayment will boost housing

The real estate sector is among the large contributors to the country’s GDP and the second-largest employers in the country. The sector drives over 200 industries right from manufacturing to services. Any incentive extended to real estate can also stimulate all the ancillary industries

Budget 2021: Govt to spend ₹3 trillion to ensure piped water for all

The plan is still under discussion and is likely to be unveiled of Feb.1 as part of the government’s budget for the year starting April 1

Govt to offer clarity on tax residence rules for fiscal 2021

Tax exemption for stay of non residents for part of FY21 may be announced in budget

Funding infra to stimulate revival

Critical infrastructure lays the tracks that allow the economy to chug along

Budget 2021: Govt may introduce coronavirus cess this year

• To push growth and the economy ahead, the centre is likely to bring some policies to raise revenues
• A COVID cess may be levied only on the higher income groups

Markets may witness profit-taking after 50K peak; all eyes on Budget 2021

• From witnessing gigantic losses to record-shattering gains, investors witnessed a wide array of emotions in 2020
• The record-breaking run has been continuing, with the benchmark reaching the momentous 50,000-mark on January 21

Budget 2021: Realty sector seeks sops

The demands include personal tax relief, tax rebate on housing, extension of interest subvention, GST waiver, infrastructure status for the realty and easing liquidity for the sector, the official said

Construction, low cost housing, real estate, tourism, infra must get fiscal push

'Our primary expectation from the budget is that it is growth-oriented. The economy needs higher investment to create jobs and employment.'

Govt may announce formulation of policy for toys sector in Budget 2021

• They said the policy will help in creating a strong ecosystem for the industry in the country and also attract startups

'Union Budget unlikely to have any major short term impact on equity markets'

Here are ICICI Securities' expectations from Budget 2021

FM launches mobile app for Union Budget during Halwa Ceremony

Previously, the Halwa ceremony marked the launch of printing exercise for the budget. This will be the first time since the presentation of independent India's first budget on November 26, 1947, that the budget documents will not be printed.