Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented India's Union Budget for 2015-16. Key highlights include a fiscal deficit target of 3.9% of GDP, GDP growth projected between 8-8.5%, and inflation expected to remain below 5%. The budget focused on infrastructure investment, tax reforms including lowering the corporate tax rate, and social programs around employment, healthcare and education.

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Highlights of Union Budget 2015-16
Finance minister Arun Jaitley presented the first full-year Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
government on Saturday.
NEW DELHI: Finance minister Arun Jaitley presented the first full-year Budget of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's government on Saturday.
Here are the highlights of the Union Budget 2015:
Fiscal deficit
* Fiscal deficit seen at 3.9 per cent of GDP in 2015/16
* Will meet the challenging fiscal target of 4.1 per cent of GDP
* Remain committed to meeting medium term fiscal deficit target of 3 per cent of GDP
* Current account deficit below 1.3 per cent of GDP
* Jaitley says have to keep fiscal discipline in mind despite need for higher investment
Growth
* GDP growth seen at between 8 per cent and 8.5 per cent y/y
* Aiming double digit growth rate, achievable soon
Inflation
* Expects consumer inflation to remain close to 5 per cent by March, opening room for more monetary
policy easing

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* Monetary policy framework agreement with the RBI clearly states objective of keeping inflation below 6
per cent
* "One of the achievements of my government has been to conquer inflation. This decline in my view
represents a structural shift."
Revenues
* Revenue deficit seen at 2.8 per cent of GDP
* Non tax revenue seen at Rs 2.21 trillion
* Agricultural incomes are under stress
Disinvestment
* Government targets Rs 410 billion from stake sales in companies
* Total stake sale in 2015/16 seen at Rs 695 billion
Market reforms
* Propose to merge commodities regulator with SEBI
* To bring a new bankruptcy code
* Jaitley says will move to amend the RBI act this year, and provide for a monetary policy committee
* To set up public debt management agency
* Proposes to introduce a public contract resolution of disputes bill
* To establish an autonomous bank board bureau to improve management of public sector banks
Policy reforms
* To enact a comprehensive new law on black money
* Propose to create a universal social security system for all Indians
* To launch a national skills mission soon to enhance employability of rural youth
* To raise visa-on-arrival facility to 150 countries from 43
* Allocates Rs 346.99 billion for rural employment guarantee scheme
Borrowing
* Gross market borrowing seen at Rs 6 trillion
* Net market borrowing seen at Rs 4.56 trillion

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General anti-avoidance rules (GAAR)
* Government defers rollout of anti-tax avoidance rules GAAR by two years
* GAAR to apply prospectively from April 1, 2017
* Retrospective tax provisions will be avoided
Taxation
* To abolish wealth tax
* Replaces wealth tax with additional 2 per cent surcharge on super rich
* Proposes to cut to 25 per cent corporate tax over next four years
* Corporate tax of 30 per cent is uncompetitive
* Net gain from tax proposals seen at Rs 150.68 billion
* Jaitley proposes modification of permanent establishment norms so that the mere presence of a fund
manager in India would not constitute a permanent establishment of the offshore fund, resulting in adverse
tax consequences.
* Proposes to rationalise capital gains tax regime for real estate investment trusts
* Expects to implement goods and services tax by April 2016
* To reduce custom duty on 22 items
* Basic custom duty on commercial vehicle doubled to 20 per cent
* Proposes to increase service tax rate and education cess to 14 per cent from 12.36 per cent
* Plans to introduce direct tax regime that is internationally competitive on rates without exemptions
* Exemptions for individual tax payers to continue
* To enact tough penalties for tax evasion in new bill
* Tax department to clarify indirect transfer of assets and dividend paid by foreign firms
Infrastructure
* Investment in infrastructure will go up by Rs 700 billion in 2015/16 over last year
* Plans to set up national investment infrastructure fund
* Proposes tax-free infrastructure bonds for projects in roads, rail and irrigation projects
* Proposes 5 "ultra mega" power projects for 4,000MW each
* Second unit of Kudankulam nuclear power station to be commissioned

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* Will need to build additional 100,000km of road
* Ports in public sector will be encouraged to corporatise under Companies Act
Expenditure
* Plan expenditure estimated at about Rs 4.65 trillion
* Non-plan expenditure seen at about Rs 13.12 trillion
* Allocates Rs 2.46 trillion for defence spending
* Allocates Rs 331.5 billion for health sector
* If revenue improves, hope to raise budgeted allocations for rural job scheme by Rs 50 billion
Investment
* Propose to do away with different types of foreign investment caps and replace them with composite caps
* To allow foreign investment in alternative investment funds
* Public investment needed to catalyse investment
Gold
* To develop a sovereign gold bond
* To introduce gold monetisation scheme to allow depositors to earn interest
* To introduce Indian-made gold coin to reduce demand for foreign gold coins
Subsidies
* Food subsidy seen at Rs 1.24 trillion
* Fertiliser subsidy seen at Rs 729.69 billion
* Fuel subsidy seen at Rs 300 billion
* We are committed to subsidy rationalisation based on cutting leakages
Finance minister's comments
1. "We inherited a sentiment of doom and gloom. The investment community had almost written us off.
We have come a long way since then."
2. "We have turned around the economy, dramatically restoring macroeconomic stability and creating
the conditions for sustainable poverty elimination, job creation, durable double digit economic
growth."
3. "While being mindful of the challenges ... this gives us reason to feel optimistic."
4. "Domestic and international investors are seeing us with renewed interest and hope."

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Budget: Concessions for individual taxpayers
Not changing the income tax rates or increasing the exemption limits for individuals, union Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley Saturday proposed increasing the range of tax deductible investments/ spend.
NEW DELHI: Not changing the income tax rates or increasing the exemption limits for individuals, union
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Saturday proposed increasing the range of tax deductible investments/ spend.
Presenting the budget proposals for 2015-16 in the Lok Sabha, Jaitley said the government is proposing to
rationalise various tax exemptions and incentives to reduce tax disputes and improve tax administration.
The proposals mentioned by the finance minister made clear the government's focus on enlarging the tax-
exempt investments/spend.
Jaitley said the proposals would result in tax deductions to the tune of around Rs.440,000 crore.
Jaitley said in order to encourage savings and to promote health care among individual tax payers, it is
proposed to increase the limit of deduction on account of health insurance premium from Rs.15,000 to
Rs.25,000 -- for senior citizens this limit is to be increased from Rs.20,000 to Rs.30,000.
For senior citizens above the age of 80 years -- who are not eligible to avail of health insurance -- deduction
will be allowed for medical expenses up to Rs.30,000.
The deduction limit of Rs.60,000 on expenditure on account of specified diseases -- like cancer -- will be
enhanced to Rs.80,000 in the case of senior citizens.
The minister also proposed additional deduction of Rs.25,000 for differently-abled persons, increasing the
limit from Rs.50,000 to Rs.75,000.
It is also proposed to increase the limit of tax deduction from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.1.25 lakh in case of severe
disability.
According to Jaitley, investment in Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme will be eligible for deduction under section
80C of the income tax and any payment from the scheme shall not be liable to tax.
Limit on deduction on account of contribution to a pension fund and the new pension scheme is proposed to
be increased from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.1.5 lakh. Additional deduction of Rs.50,000 will be allowed for
contribution to the new pension scheme under section 80 CCD of Income Tax Act -- increasing the
exemption from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.1.5 lakh.
Jaitley also doubled the transport allowance exemption to Rs.1,600 per month.
According to him, the details of tax deductions proposed are as follows:
Deduction u/s 80C - Rs.150,000; Deduction u/s 80CCD - Rs.50,000; Deduction on account of interest on
house property loan (Self-occupied property) - Rs.200,000; Deduction u/s 80D on health insurance premium
- Rs.25,000; Exemption of transport allowance - Rs 19,200; Total - Rs.444,200
Reacting to the budget proposals, Prashant Khatore, tax partner, Ernst and Young told IANS: "The finance
minister is connecting various proposals to the Make In India programme. Though there is no change in
personal income tax rates, the corporate tax rate has been proposed to be brought down to 25 percent over a
four-year period."

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Finance minister Arun Jaitley presented the first General Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
government on Saturday.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley presented the first General Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
government on Saturday. The various measures announced by the finance minister has resulted in hike in
prices of some commodities and reduction in some. Here is the list:
Service/commodities whoseprices will rise:
1) Home
2) Eating out
3) Cold Drinks
4) Mineral water
5) Internet services
6) Cable/DTH services
7) Laptop
8) Cigarette
9) Tobacco products
10) Mobile phone
11) Education
12) Commercial vehicles
13) Movies
14) Courier services
15) Healthcare services
16) Laundry services
17) Beauty parlour
18) Air travel
19) Imported hazel nuts
20) Precious stones
21) Branded apparels
22) Gym services

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Service/commodities whoseprices will fall:
1) Leather goods
2) Footwear
Service/commodities whoseprice will remain unchanged:
1) Cars
2) Two wheelers