National Desk: The country’s first woman Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, presented her ninth budget on Sunday (Union Budget 2026 India).
In this year’s budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced customs duty relief on several items. Some goods have been granted complete tax exemption, while import duty or tax rates on certain other items have been increased .
Which Items Will Become Cheaper in the Budget
In the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, prices of several items, including life-saving medicines, are expected to come down . Accordingly, the prices of 17 life-saving medicines (including medicines for diabetes and cancer), smartphones and mobile components, electric vehicle batteries, leather bags, shoes, seafood, sports equipment, foreign travel, CNG, solar panels, microwave ovens, aircraft components, sarees, and other items will decrease (Nirmala Sitharaman Budget 2026).
Bad News for Consumers of Intoxicants
If you consume intoxicating items such as liquor and cigarettes, there is bad news for you. After the presentation of the budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the prices of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages will increase.
This year’s budget primarily focuses on self-reliance. Therefore, import duties on certain items have been deliberately increased. At the same time, import duties on components or raw materials of some items have been reduced. As a result, prices of certain foreign goods may increase, while prices of goods manufactured in India may decrease.
Defence Expenditure Increased
In this year’s budget, defence expenditure has been increased. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has increased the capital budget for the defence sector by 21.84 percent, raising the allocation to ₹2.19 lakh crore. In the previous budget, capital expenditure stood at ₹1.8 lakh crore (Defence Budget India 2026).
Special emphasis has been given to aircraft and aero engines, with ₹63,733 crore allocated for this purpose. Additionally, the total defence budget has been increased by 15 percent. Last year, ₹6.81 lakh crore was allocated for the defence sector, which has now been raised to ₹7.84 lakh crore. Pension expenditure under the defence budget has been increased from ₹1.60 lakh crore to ₹1.71 lakh crore.
Emphasis on Ayurveda Treatment
The budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman places emphasis on Ayurveda treatment. The budget mentions the establishment of five regional “medical hubs” through public-private partnerships. These “integrated healthcare complexes” will include modern facilities for research, education, and disease diagnosis, along with dedicated AYUSH centres. Accommodation facilities will also be provided for post-surgery or post-treatment care of patients.
In addition, approval has been given for Ayurveda drug testing laboratories. There is also a plan to modernise the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre located in Jamnagar.
AI Mentioned in the Budget
While announcing the budget on Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also referred to AI. She stated that a new committee would be formed to review the impact of new technologies like AI in the service sector. This high-powered committee will assess the impact of AI on workplaces, particularly on employment.
The Finance Minister said, “To pave the way for fulfilling the aspirations of young India, I propose the formation of a high-powered permanent committee on ‘Education to Employment and Entrepreneurship’. This committee will focus on the service sector as a key driver of economic growth.”
Content Creation Labs in Educational Institutions
Content creation has become extremely popular among the youth in recent times. By creating reels on Facebook and Instagram and by taking photographs, many young people in India have found ways to earn income.
Keeping this in mind, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that content creator laboratories will be set up in 1,5000 schools and 500 colleges across the country. According to the Finance Minister, these labs will provide training in animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and related fields.
She expressed hope that these laboratories would generate employment for 2 million people by 2030. Apart from content creation, these labs will also help enhance digital media-related skills among India’s Gen Z. However, no direct government assistance has been announced for content creators.
Training for Tourism Guides
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that 10,000 tour guides will be officially trained across 20 tourist destinations in the country. This 12-week training programme will include participation from the Indian Institute of Management.
Additionally, special announcements have been made to benefit Gen Z in the tourism sector. She stated that trekking-support infrastructure would be developed in several hilly regions, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Araku Valley. Due to tax reductions, foreign travel packages will also become cheaper.
Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj Yojana
With the objective of ensuring economic development and self-reliance in rural India through khadi and textile industries, the central government will launch the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj Yojana. Large-scale investment will be made under this project, primarily for the development of the textile and khadi sectors.
In her budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “I propose the establishment of textile parks by taking up this challenge. A proposal has also been taken to launch the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj project for the development of khadi and handloom industries.”
Prime Minister Modi’s Praise
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the budget speech on Sunday for 85 minutes, that is, 1 hour and 25 minutes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the budget for the financial year 2026–27 as a historic budget.
Praising Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Prime Minister said, “This budget will make India the world’s third-largest economy.” He added, “This is a people-centric budget. It has been prepared with the goal of making India the world’s third-largest economy. As a result, India’s economy will grow further. Reforms will gain new momentum. This budget opens the path to reducing inflation. It will provide new direction to the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. A developed India will become stronger. A modern ecosystem will be created among women self-help groups. This budget also promotes tourism, particularly with expectations of increased tourism in Northeast India.”
Opposition Criticism
While the BJP leadership, including the Prime Minister, praised the budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, opposition leaders strongly criticised it.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “This budget is completely anti-poor. It is also anti-women and anti-farmer. It does not reflect the interests of ordinary people in any sector.” She further said, “Despite a shower of announcements, it will have no impact on the lives of common people.”
Similarly, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on his X handle, “The budget documents need to be examined in detail. But it is clear that the central government has failed to even come close to what was projected regarding the 2026–27 financial year budget. The budget is completely ineffective.”
Likewise, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav told journalists, “There is no point in expecting anything from the BJP government. This budget has been prepared only to please the wealthy.
Ahead of 2026 Assembly Polls, PM Modi Visits Assam Again