To promote domestic manufacturing and ‘Make in India’ for creation of more jobs, the Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley announced a series of cuts in Customs and Excise duties in the Union Budget 2015-16 presented in Parliament.

 Customs duties on certain inputs like Metal parts, insulated wires and cables, Refrigerators compressor parts, compounds used in catalytic converters, Sulphuric Acid for use in manufacture of fertilizers and compounds of Video Cameras have been reduced.

 Similarly Basic Customs Duty is being reduced on certain raw materials used in lathe machines from 7.5%, to 2.5%, medical video endoscopes from 5% to 2.5 %, telecommunication grade optical fiber cables from7.5% to Nil and LCD/LED TV panels from 10% to Nil.CVD and SAD are being fully exempted on specified raw materials for use in the manufacture of pacemakers.

 SAD is reduced in Metal scrap of iron & steel, copper, brass and aluminum from 4% to 2% to address problem of CENVAT credit accumulation. For inputs for use in the manufacture of LED driver and MCPCB for LED lights, fixture and LED lamps SAD is reduced from 4% to Nil.

 Basic Customs Duty is increased for metallurgical coke. Tariff rate is increased on iron & steel and articles of iron or steel. Tariff rate on Commercial Vehicles is increased from 10% to 40% and effective rate from 10% to 20%.

 Excise duty is restructured on certain goods such as Wafers for use in the manufacture of integrated circuit (IC) modules for smart cards from 12% to 6%, inputs for use in the manufacture of LED lamps from 12% to 6%, specified raw materials for use in the manufacture of pacemakers to Nil , Solar water heater and system from 12.5% to Nil and Tablet computers from 12% to 2 %.

Customs duty adjustments to incentivise domestic manufacturing, with targeted exemptions and selective tariff increases. Budget measures adjusted customs and excise duties to promote domestic manufacturing: Basic Customs Duty reductions and nil-rating for specified inputs and components, full or partial exemptions of CVD and SAD for certain manufacturing raw materials, targeted SAD reductions on metal scrap and LED inputs to address CENVAT credit accumulation, and excise duty restructuring on selected goods; simultaneous tariff increases imposed on metallurgical coke, iron and steel products and commercial vehicles to protect import-competing sectors.