FM | DD News

February 1, 2026 12:45 PM

Union Budget: Fiscal deficit target pegged at 4.3% for 2026-27

In her Union Budget speech on Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pegged fiscal deficit at 4.3 per cent of the GDP for the year 2026-27, as against 4.4 per cent being targeted in 2025-26. The difference between total revenue and total expenditure of the government is termed as the fiscal deficit. It is an indication of the total borrowings that may be needed by the government. The government had intended to bring the fiscal deficit below 4.5 per cent of GDP by the financial year 2025-...

February 1, 2026 12:40 PM

Union Budget: FM Sitharaman proposes seven high-speed rail corridors, freight links, new waterways push

Asserting that the Union Budget 2026-27 is driven by "Yuvashakti" and based on "three kartavyas," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years as part of the Union Budget. The Union Budget has outlined a major push for environmentally sustainable passenger transport, proposing the development of seven high-speed rail corridors across key ...

February 1, 2026 12:31 PM

Union Budget: FM Sitharaman proposes 5 medical hubs, 3 new All India Institutes of Ayurveda

In a significant boost to the healthcare sector, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed the creation of five regional medical hubs to boost medical value tourism in the country. "To promote India as a medical tourism hub, I propose a scheme to support states to set up five regional hubs in the country," she said while presenting the Union Budget 2026-27. These medical hubs will have Ayush centres, infrastructure for diagnostics, and post-care rehabilitation. These will al...

February 1, 2026 12:19 PM

Union Budget 2026-27 hikes Govt capex to Rs 12.2 lakh crore in big push to infra

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced a capital expenditure of Rs 12.2 lakh crore in the Budget for 2026-27, to boost big-ticket infrastructure projects for growth and jobs in the economy. Presenting the Budget, the Finance Minister said that an Infrastructure Risk Development Fund would be set up to accelerate the development of big projects. She said to push economic growth, the Budget proposes to deliver a powerful push to infrastructure, including highways, ports, railway...

February 1, 2026 12:15 PM

Union Budget: FM Sitharaman lists 3 ‘Kartavyas’ to accelerate economy, empower poor

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday shared three 'Kartavyas' (duties) to not only accelerate the economy but also empower the poor, underprivileged, and the disadvantaged. Sitharaman said that to deliver on the government's 'sankalp' (resolve) and given that this is the first budget prepared in Kartavya Bhavan, "we are inspired by three Kartavyas". "The first Kartavya is to accelerate and sustain economic growth by enhancing productivity and competitiveness and building resilience to...

November 10, 2025 2:46 PM

FM Sitharaman holds first pre-Union Budget consultations with leading economists

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday held first pre-budget consultations with leading economists ahead of the upcoming Union Budget 2026-27. The meeting was attended by Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran, besides other economists and senior officers from the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA). “Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs @nsitharaman chairs the first Pre-Budget Consultation with leading economists in connection with the upcoming Union Budget 2...

October 17, 2025 3:14 PM

FM Nirmala Sitharaman reviews business performance of Karnataka Grameena Bank in Ballari

Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday chaired a review meeting to assess the business performance of Karnataka Grameena Bank (KaGB) in Ballari, Karnataka. The meeting was attended by M. Nagaraju, Secretary (DFS), Shaji K. V., Chairman of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Executive Director of Canara Bank, and senior officials from the Ministry of Finance. During the review, FM Sitharaman assessed key indicators, including cre...

October 16, 2025 3:13 PM

FM Nirmala Sitharaman interacts with PM Internship Scheme interns in Hampi

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday interacted with interns of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS) in Hampi, Karnataka. Over 60 interns from across the state and representatives from leading partner companies, including Infosys, IBM, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Consumer Products, Bharat Electronics Limited, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, NMDC and Honeywell Technology Solutions, attended the session. The ...

October 5, 2025 1:16 PM

Unclaimed financial assets: FM Nirmala Sitharaman urges citizens to spread the word

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday launched the nationwide awareness campaign “आपकी पूँजी, आपका अधिकार” (“Your Wealth, Your Right”) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, urging citizens to help spread awareness about unclaimed financial assets across the country. The event was attended by Gujarat Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai, DFS Secretary M. Nagaraju, senior officials of RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, and representatives from major financial inst...

October 1, 2025 9:16 PM

FM Nirmala Sitharaman to launch nationwide awareness drive on unclaimed financial assets from Gandhinagar on Oct 4

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will launch a three-month nationwide awareness campaign on unclaimed financial assets from Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on October 4, 2025. The campaign, titled “आपकी पूँजी, आपका अधिकार” (Your Money, Your Right), will run from October to December 2025 and is being coordinated by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the Reserve Bank of Indi...