Nirmala Sitharaman to hold high-level meetings with Singapore leadership, global investors

October 9, 2026 12:00 PM

Nirmala Sitharaman to hold high-level meetings with Singapore leadership, global investors

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is on an official visit to Singapore from October 9 to 11 to strengthen bilateral economic ties and explore investment opportunities with Singaporean and international investors.   During the visit, the Finance Minister will hold high-level meetings with Singapore's political leadership, senior business executives and global institutional investors.   Sitharaman is scheduled to call on Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratna...

PM Modi Welcomes New GST Reforms, Says Simpler Procedures, Decriminalisation Will Strengthen Trust-Based Tax Administration

October 8, 2026 10:34 PM

PM Modi Welcomes New GST Reforms, Says Simpler Procedures, Decriminalisation Will Strengthen Trust-Based Tax Administration

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday welcomed the new round of GST reforms approved by the GST Council, saying the recommendations on removal of arrest provisions, greater decriminalisation and simpler procedures would have a positive impact on taxpayers and businesses and advance the government’s efforts towards a more efficient, transparent and citizen-friendly tax regime. PM Modi posted on X: “I welcome the new round of GST reforms approved by the GST Council. The Council’s recom...

GST Council removes arrest powers of tax officers, eases compliance rules for businesses

October 8, 2026 7:20 PM

GST Council removes arrest powers of tax officers, eases compliance rules for businesses

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Thursday approved a series of taxpayer-friendly reforms, including the removal of arrest powers from tax officers and a significant increase in the prosecution threshold to Rs 5 crore from the existing Rs 1 crore. The decisions were taken at the 57th meeting of the GST Council chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the national capital on Thursday. Addressing reporters after the meeting, FM Sitharaman said the Council focused on proc...

Sitharaman holds bilateral meetings with Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Jordan, Nepal in Doha

September 29, 2026 12:03 PM

Sitharaman holds bilateral meetings with Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Jordan, Nepal in Doha

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) 2026 Annual Meeting in Doha, discussing investment, trade and economic cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Jordan, besides post-flood reconstruction support and digital payments connectivity with Nepal.   According to the Ministry of Finance, Sitharaman's meeting with Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan focused on strengthe...

Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates BRICS heads of tax authorities meeting in New Delhi

September 23, 2026 9:17 PM

Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates BRICS heads of tax authorities meeting in New Delhi

Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday inaugurated the BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities Meeting in New Delhi, marking the culmination of India’s BRICS Chairship of the tax cooperation track. The meeting brought together Heads of Tax Authorities and representatives from 10 BRICS tax administrations — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates — to share experiences and discuss emerging ch...

Focus on scale, resilience, better governance: Sitharaman to India Inc

September 22, 2026 3:11 PM

Focus on scale, resilience, better governance: Sitharaman to India Inc

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked Indian industry to focus not just on scale but also on building stronger, more resilient, and better-governed enterprises as the country works towards the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. Addressing an AIMA event in New Delhi, Sitharaman said Indian industry needs to build institutions that combine scale with durability, higher quality, better governance and deeper technological capabilities. "India today has the scale of market, the entrepren...

Jaishankar, Nepal Finance Minister Wagle Discuss Ways to Strengthen Economic, Energy, Connectivity Ties

September 18, 2026 8:08 PM

Jaishankar, Nepal Finance Minister Wagle Discuss Ways to Strengthen Economic, Energy, Connectivity Ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met Nepalese Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle in New Delhi and offered his deep condolences over the loss of lives and property in the recent flash floods in Nepal. The duo discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the economic, energy, and connectivity sectors. “Glad to meet Finance Minister @SwarnimWagle of Nepal today in Delhi. Offered my deep condolences on the destruction of lives and property in the recent flash floods. ...

FM Sitharaman asks banks to step up financial literacy efforts for MUDRA beneficiaries

September 18, 2026 12:14 PM

FM Sitharaman asks banks to step up financial literacy efforts for MUDRA beneficiaries

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday asked banks providing loans under the PM MUDRA Yojana to step up financial literacy efforts across states to help small entrepreneurs expand their businesses and bring more people under the scheme. Speaking during an interaction with beneficiaries of the PM MUDRA Yojana, FM Sitharaman said financial awareness was important for entrepreneurs to make better use of credit and grow their businesses. Her remarks came after an entrepreneur from N...

Sitharaman meets Manturov, discusses investment flows and financial cooperation

September 11, 2026 1:52 PM

Sitharaman meets Manturov, discusses investment flows and financial cooperation

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday met First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov in New Delhi, with the two sides discussing measures to further strengthen and deepen economic cooperation between India and Russia on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit. The meeting focused on strengthening investment and financial cooperation between the two countries, with both sides agreeing to advance negotiations on a Bilateral Investment T...