Budget 2024: Key highlights

With the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas and the whole of nation approach of Sabka Prayas, the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Interim Union Budget 2024-25 in Parliament, today. The key highlights of the Budget are as follows:

Garib Kalyan, Desh ka Kalyan

  • Government assisted 25 crore people out of multi-dimensional poverty in last 10 years.
  • DBT of Rs 34 lakh crore using PM-Jan Dhan accounts led to savings of Rs 2.7 lakh crore for the Government.
  • PM-SVANidhi provided credit assistance to 78 lakh street vendors. Approx. 2.3 lakh have received credit for the third time.
  • PM-JANMAN Yojana to aid the development of particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG).
  • PM-Vishwakarma Yojana provides end-to-end support to artisans and crafts people engaged in 18 trades.
  • Welfare of Annadata

  • PM-KISAN SAMMAN Yojana provided financial assistance to 11.8 crore farmers. 
  • Under PM Fasal BimaYojana, crop insurance is given to 4 crore farmers
  • Electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) integrated 1361 mandis, providing services to 1.8 crore farmers with trading volume of Rs. 3 lakh crore
  • Momentum for Nari Shakti

  • 30 crore Mudra Yojana loans given to women entrepreneurs.
  • Female enrolment in higher education gone up by 28%.
  • In STEM courses, girls and women constitute 43% of enrolment, one of the highest in the world.
  • Over 70% houses under PM Awas Yojana given to women from rural areas.
  • PM Awas Yojana (Grameen)

  • Despite COVID challenges, the target of three crore houses under PM Awas Yojana (Grameen) will be achieved soon.
  • About two crore more houses to be taken up in the next five years.
  • Rooftop solarization and muft bijli

  • One crore household to obtain 300 units free electricity every month through rooftop solarisation.
  • Each household is expected to save Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 annually.
  • Ayushman Bharat

  • Healthcare cover under Ayushman Bharat scheme to be extended to all ASHA workers, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers.
  • Agriculture and food processing
  • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana has benefitted 38 lakh farmers and generated 10 lakh employment.
  • Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Yojana has assisted 2.4 lakh SHGs and 60000 individuals with credit linkages.
  • Research and Innovation for catalysing growth, employment and development

  • A corpus of Rs.1 lakh crore to be established with fifty-year interest free loan to provide long-term financing or refinancing with long tenors and low or nil interest rates.
  • A new scheme to be launched for strengthening deep-tech technologies for defence purposes and expediting atmanirbharta.
  • Infrastructure

  • Capital expenditure outlay for Infrastructure development and employment generation to be increased by 11.1 per cent to Rs.11,11,111 crore, that will be 3.4 per cent of the GDP.
  • Railways

  • 3 major economic railway corridor programmes identified under the PM Gati Shakti to be implemented to improve logistics efficiency and reduce cost
  • Energy, mineral and cement corridors
  • Port connectivity corridors
  • High traffic density corridors
  • Forty thousand normal rail bogies to be converted to Vande Bharat standards.
  • Aviation Sector

  • Number of airports in the country doubled to 149.
  • Five hundred and seventeen new routes are carrying 1.3 crore passengers.
  • Indian carriers have placed orders for over 1,000 new aircrafts.
  • Green Energy

  • Coal gasification and liquefaction capacity of 100 MT to be set up by 2030.
  • Phased mandatory blending of compressed biogas (CBG) in compressed natural gas (CNG) for transport and piped natural gas (PNG) for domestic purposes to be mandated.
  • Tourism sector

  • States to be encouraged to take up comprehensive development of iconic tourist centres including their branding and marketing at global scale.
  • Framework for rating of the tourist centres based on quality of facilities and services to be established.
  • Long-term interest free loans to be provided to States for financing such development on matching basis.
  • Investments

  • FDI inflow during 2014-23 of $596 billion was twice of the inflow during 2005-14.
  • Reforms in the States for Viksit Bharat

  • A provision of Rs.75,000 crore rupees as fifty-year interest free loan is proposed to support milestone-linked reforms by the State Governments.
  • Revised Estimates (RE) 2023-24

  • RE of the total receipts other than borrowings is Rs 27.56 lakh crore, of which the tax receipts are Rs 23.24 lakh crore.
  • RE of the total expenditure is Rs 44.90 lakh crore.
  • Revenue receipts at Rs.30.03 lakh crore is expected to be higher than the Budget Estimate, reflecting strong growth momentum and formalisation in the economy.
  • RE of the fiscal deficit is 5.8 per cent of GDP for 2023-24.
  • Budget Estimates 2024-25

  • Total receipts other than borrowings and the total expenditure are estimated at Rs 30.80 and Rs 47.66 lakh crore respectively.
  • Tax receipts are estimated at Rs.26.02 lakh crore.   
  • Scheme of fifty-year interest free loan for capital expenditure to states to be continued this year with total outlay of Rs 1.3 lakh crore.
  • Fiscal deficit in 2024-25 is estimated to be 5.1 per cent of GDP
  • Gross and net market borrowings through dated securities during 2024-25 are estimated at Rs 14.13 and Rs 11.75 lakh crore respectively.
  • Direct taxes

  • FM proposes to retain same tax rates for direct taxes
  • Direct tax collection tripled, return filers increased to 2.4 times, in the last 10 years
  • Government to improve tax payer services
  • Outstanding direct tax demands up to Rs 25,000 pertaining to the period up to FY 2009-10 withdrawn
  • Outstanding direct tax demands up to Rs 10,000 for financial years 2010-11 to 2014-15 withdrawn
  • This will benefit one crore tax payers
  • Tax benefits to start-ups, investments made by sovereign wealth funds or pension funds extended to March 31, 2025
  • Tax exemption on certain income of IFSC units extended by a year to 31.03.2025 from March 31, 2024
  • Indirect taxes

  • FM proposes to retain same tax rates for indirect taxes and import duties
  • GST unified the highly fragmented indirect tax regime in India
  • Average monthly gross GST collection doubled to Rs 1.66 lakh crore this year
  • GST tax base has doubled
  • State SGST revenue buoyancy (including compensation released to states) increased to 1.22 in post-GST period (2017-18 to 2022-23) from 0.72 in the pre-GST period (2012-13 to 2015-16)
  • 94% of industry leaders view transition to GST as largely positive
  • GST led to supply chain optimisation
  • GST reduced the compliance burden on trade and industry
  • Lower logistics cost and taxes helped reduce prices of goods and services, benefiting the consumers
  • Tax rationalization efforts over the years

  • No tax liability for income upto Rs 7 lakh, up from Rs 2.2 lakh in  FY 2013-14
  • Presumptive taxation threshold for retail businesses increased to Rs 3 crore from Rs 2 crore
  • Presumptive taxation threshold for professionals increased to Rs 75 lakh from Rs 50 lakh
  • Corporate income tax decreased to 22% from 30% for existing domestic companies
  • Corporate income tax rate at 15% for new manufacturing companies
  • Achievements in tax-payer services

  • Average processing time of tax returns has reduced to 10 days from 93 days in 2013-14
  • Faceless Assessment and Appeal introduced for greater efficiency
  • Updated income tax returns, new form 26AS and prefilled tax returns for simplified return filing
  • Reforms in customs leading to reduced import release time
  • Reduction by 47% to 71 hours at inland container depots
  • Reduction by 28% to 44 hours at air cargo complexes
  • Reduction by 27% to 85 hours at sea ports