Stock Market News Today Live Updates on February 26, 2025 : Up in smoke? Tobacco stocks struggle as costs rise, tax jitters grow

Goodbye old tax regime; new regime now more attractive

Before you pop the champagne, though, there are two points to consider. First, zero tax up to ₹12 lakh as well as the attractive new tax slabs are only applicable to the new tax regime. At the same time, the old tax regime does remain relevant in some cases. Second, if your taxable income is...

Centre sets new five-year target to cut debt to half of GDP; signals robust capital spending, support to states

AIMPWAMarch 14, 2025

The Union budget has set a new five-year target to cut the central government’s debt to 50% of gross domestic product, give or take 1%, by 31 March, 2031. The budget, presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, also sought to signal the Narendra Modi administration’s commitment to fiscal prudence and infrastructure creation, including...

Blackstone to increase stake in THIS small-cap realty firm for ₹1,166 crore, sale triggers open offer

AIMPWAMarch 14, 2025

New York-based investment giant Blackstone Inc. will acquire a 40 per cent stakeholding in Kolte-Patil Developers Limited, an Indian real-estate firm, for a value of ₹1,167.03 crore, according to an exchange filing. According to the BSE filing, the realty firm will allocate 14.29 per cent preferential shares to the investment giant, a deal worth ₹417.03...

Budget sows seeds of change for agriculture but gaps remain

AIMPWAMarch 14, 2025

The Economic Survey called agriculture the “sector of the future” and the FM echoed this sentiment in her budget speech, emphasizing garib, youth, annadata and nari. Despite this focus, key gaps remain. Firstly, there is a budget cut for agriculture ministry. Despite the rhetoric, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MOA) saw a ₹3,500...

Budget boosts healthcare: Boost to medical tourism, entry of gig workers in PMJAY

AIMPWAMarch 14, 2025

The Union budget presented on Saturday saw a 9.8% increase in the allocation for the healthcare sector to ₹99,858.56 crore from ₹90,958.68 crore in the previous financial year but overall health allocation remained below 2% of the budget. The share of health in the FY26 budget increased marginally to 1.97% from 1.9% in FY25 and...