Infrastructure investment facilitation: enhanced financing tools and credit support to mobilize private and multilateral capital for projects.
The Budget advances mobilizing private and multilateral capital for infrastructure by promoting Infrastructure Debt Funds and credit enhancement via India Infrastructure Finance Corporation and multilateral partners, conditioning selective issuance of tax-free bonds on market need and capacity, seeking MDB assistance for regional connectivity projects, and expanding NABARD and RIDF financing to support rural warehouses, godowns, silos and cold storage through public, private and panchayat channels.

Mandatory e-filing expansion and enhanced administrative measures streamline taxpayer compliance and broaden electronic payment and refund processes.
The proposals expand electronic tax administration by widening the scope of annual information returns, mandating e-filing for more categories of assessees, extending e-payment facilities through additional banks, and broadening the refund banker system to cover higher-value refunds, while reinforcing technology-based processing through Central Processing Cell installations and new large taxpayer units.

Goods and Services Tax implementation: Centre sets compensation mechanism and seeks state cooperation to advance constitutional amendment.
The Union Budget allocates a dedicated sum as the first instalment of the balance of compensation for loss arising from reduction in the Central Sales Tax rate and proposes concurrent work on a draft constitutional amendment and a draft GST law to be prepared by State Finance Ministers and the GST Council, while emphasising intergovernmental cooperation to finalise the legislative and institutional framework for GST.

Surcharge increases and targeted tax measures expand revenue while introducing property TDS and compliance reforms.
The Budget raises surtaxes on high earners and companies, grants a limited investment allowance to manufacturers, continues concessional tax treatment for foreign dividends for a year, introduces 1% TDS on certain immovable property transfers (excluding agricultural land), phases in modified GAAR, increases withholding on non resident royalties and fees for technical services, and proposes a limited Commodities Transaction Tax with agricultural exemptions; it also implements administrative measures and a one time voluntary service tax compliance scheme.

PPP partnership with Coal India to boost domestic coal production and reduce dependence on imports, alongside DISCOM restructuring.
A PPP policy framework with Coal India Limited is proposed to increase domestic coal production for power and other consumers to reduce reliance on imports, with the Minister of Coal to announce detailed policies. The document also notes an approved financial restructuring scheme for distribution companies and urges State Governments to prepare plans, sign the memorandum of understanding and implement the scheme to restore power sector health.

Government funding commitment enables development of new industrial corridors and smart cities, fostering intergovernmental infrastructure collaboration.
The central government confirms development of multiple industrial corridors and smart cities, finalizing plans for seven new cities, commencing construction at two smart industrial city sites, and promising additional funds from the national project share if required; DIPP and an international development agency are preparing a comprehensive Chennai-Bengaluru corridor plan with state governments while preparatory work has begun on a Bengaluru-Mumbai corridor.

Household savings incentives expand equity-savings access, add first-home loan interest relief and propose inflation-protected bonds.
Policy measures incentivise household savings into financial instruments. The Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme is liberalised to permit first-time investors to invest in mutual funds and listed shares across three successive years and raises the individual income eligibility threshold. A measure grants an additional deduction for interest on first-home loans within the announced loan and period limits to promote home ownership. The government, consulting the central bank, proposes inflation-indexed bonds or certificates to protect savings from inflation, with detailed structures to be announced.

Investment allowance for high-value investments introduced, plus customs duty relief for semiconductor wafer fab equipment to incentivize manufacturing.
An investment allowance of fifteen percent is proposed for qualifying new high-value investments in plant and machinery, available in addition to depreciation, for companies meeting the threshold and investing within the specified incentive window. Separate incentives for semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities are proposed, including zero customs duty on plant and machinery, to support electronics manufacturing and related spill-over benefits to small and medium enterprises.

Fast-tracking high-end projects: a committee will monitor proposals and remove regulatory bottlenecks to accelerate implementation.
A high-level inter-governmental mechanism has been established to accelerate industrial and infrastructure projects by monitoring proposals and projects under implementation and by addressing regulatory impediments that stall progress; it has convened meetings and taken decisions on major energy and infrastructure projects and will continue reviewing additional stalled or slow-moving investments to expedite execution.

Direct Taxes Code reform: new code based on international practices, Bill to be reintroduced before end of budget session
Work on a comprehensive Direct Taxes Code is underway as a new code (not an amendment to the Income-Tax Act), intended to align with international tax practices and meet the needs of a fast-developing economy. The Standing Committee on Finance has submitted recommendations which are under government review, and the Finance Minister intends to reintroduce the Bill to the legislature before the end of the budget session.

Customs duty revisions reshape protection and export incentives across leather, gemstones, electronics and silk industries.
Customs duty rates were restructured: machinery for leather manufacture reduced to 5% from 7.5% to support exports; pre-forms of precious and semi-precious stones reduced to 2% from 10% and export duty on de-oiled rice bran oil cake withdrawn. Duty on set top boxes was doubled to 10% and raw silk increased to 15% to encourage domestic production and protection. Export duties were introduced on ilmenite-10% on unprocessed and 5% on upgraded-to conserve resources; steam and bituminous coal duties were equalised at 2% customs duty and 2% CVD.

General Anti-Avoidance Rules modified to defer start and add stakeholder safeguards while preserving anti avoidance purpose.
The modification of the General Anti-Avoidance Rules defers commencement and incorporates stakeholder driven clarifications into the Income Tax Act while preserving GAAR's core anti avoidance purpose; the amendments adopt expert committee recommendations and guidelines to provide phased implementation, transitional protections, and greater certainty for taxpayers and advisers.

Commodities Transaction Tax applies to non-agricultural commodity futures, agricultural commodities exempt, and business-income deduction allowed.
Commodities Transaction Tax is imposed on non-agricultural commodity futures at the same rate as equity futures; trading in commodity derivatives will not be treated as speculative and CTT paid will be allowed as a deduction where income from such transactions forms part of business income. Agricultural commodities are expressly exempt from the levy.

Tax rate stability maintained as budget leaves customs, excise and service tax rates unchanged across sectors.
Budget announcement confirms no change in central indirect tax peak rates: the peak rate of basic customs duty for non agricultural products remains unchanged, and the normal rates of excise duty and service tax remain unchanged, communicating stability in headline tariff and indirect tax parameters in the presented budget.

Securities Transaction Tax reduction announced for equity futures and mutual fund/ETF transactions, lowering seller and fund counter rates.
Securities Transaction Tax (STT) rates are proposed to be reduced for specified market transactions: the Bill lowers STT on equity futures and on mutual fund and ETF transactions, distinguishing redemptions at fund counters from purchases or sales on exchanges and applying the exchange transaction charge specifically to the seller.

Fiscal consolidation paired with social sector expansion and nationwide Direct Benefit Transfer rollout to strengthen inclusion.
Budget emphasises inclusion through a social spending expansion and targeted programmes: creation of a Women's Bank, Nirbhaya Fund for women's safety, a nationwide Direct Benefit Transfer rollout, and increased allocations to rural development, food security, health, education, ICDS, water and urban renewal. Fiscal consolidation is pursued with set deficit targets while market measures aim to deepen infrastructure finance via Infrastructure Debt Funds, tax free bonds and a specialised infrastructure finance vehicle; proposals include inflation indexed instruments, reforms to extractive sector pricing, MSME transition protections and targeted tax measures to raise revenue.

Interest subvention extension to private banks ensures farmers access concessional rates for timely short term crop loan repayment.
The budget expands the Interest Subvention Scheme to include private sector scheduled commercial banks for loans within the lending branch's service area, aligning them with Public Sector Banks, RRBs and Cooperative Banks; farmers who repay eligible short term crop loans on time qualify for a concessional four percent per annum interest rate.

Matching equity grants for farmer producer organisations to improve access to working capital, supported by a credit guarantee fund.
Proposal provides matching equity grants to registered Farmer Producer Organisations to help them leverage working capital from financial institutions, backed by a specific outlay for the scheme. A complementary credit guarantee fund will be created within the Small Farmers' Agri Business Corporation to support lending, and State Governments are required to amend the APMC Act to facilitate and support FPO operations and market linkages.

Criteria for determining backwardness to include human development indicators, guiding future planning and targeted fund allocation.
Proposes that criteria for determining backwardness incorporate human development indicators, including per capita income and other HDIs, and that these metrics guide future planning and devolution of funds; reiterates the Backward Regions Grant Fund as the primary gap-funding mechanism and signals targeted allocations and a State Component for specified backward and affected regions.

Green Revolution funding expanded to boost agricultural production and support eastern states and crop diversification.
The 2013-14 budget focuses on augmenting the Green Revolution by funding continued support in eastern states for rice production, a programme for crop diversification in original Green Revolution states to address yield stagnation and water over exploitation, increased investment mobilization for agriculture and the National Food Security Mission, expanded resources for the Integrated Watershed Programme for drought prone and ecologically stressed regions, pilot schemes including Nutri Farms and coconut replanting, and establishment of institutions for biotic stress management and agricultural biotechnology.