The 2026-27 Union Budget, delivered from Kartavya Bhavan under the guiding principles of the three Kartavyas, delivers a robust, reform-oriented roadmap for Viksit Bharat. It sustains high capex momentum (up to ₹12.2 lakh crore), accelerates manufacturing in frontier sectors (e.g., ISM 2.0 with ₹40,000 crore, BioPharma Shakti at ₹10,000 crore), rejuvenates legacy clusters, champions MSMEs through equity funds and liquidity tweaks, and pushes infrastructure with high-speed rail corridors, waterways, and city economic regions.
Specifically for general insurance industry, the compassionate exemption of TDS (and full tax) on Motor Accident Claims Tribunal interest awards stands out as a victim-friendly relief, ensuring faster, untaxed access to compensation for those in distress a thoughtful step toward ease of living.
A particularly positive move for investors and corporates is the revised taxation of share buybacks: proceeds are now taxed as capital gains for all shareholders, addressing past anomalies and aligning buybacks more equitably with other equity distributions. This promotes fairness for minority shareholders while curbing potential tax arbitrage—corporate promoters face an effective 22% rate, non-corporate at 30% via additional levies. Overall, it streamlines corporate capital allocation, reduces differential treatment, and could encourage more transparent shareholder returns without excessive complexity.
On the flip side, the hike in Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on futures and options—futures to 0.05% (from 0.02%) and options premium/exercise to 0.15% (from 0.1%/0.125%)—is a negative for active traders and the derivatives ecosystem. It raises transaction costs, potentially curbing speculative volumes, impacting liquidity in F&O, and contributing to immediate market pressure (e.g., Sensex/Nifty drops post-announcement). While aimed at moderating excessive derivatives activity and boosting revenue, it could dampen retail participation in a bull phase and affect broking revenues short-term.
Net-net, this is a growth-focused, simplification-heavy budget with strong welfare and infra underpinnings—balanced by prudent revenue measures. The buyback tweak is a clear win for equity market health, while the STT increase tempers enthusiasm in high-frequency trading circles. Execution and market adaptation will define its success in the coming year.”
