New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced continuation of customs duty exemption on inputs and components used for manufacturing of ships for another 10 years.

The announcement assumes significance as the country is looking to promote domestic ship building to boost international trade.

Presenting the Budget for 2025-26, she also announced doubling of basic customs duty on interactive flat panel display to 20 per cent.

Sitharaman also announced a scheme to promote handicraft exports.

To promote leather exports, she announced full exemption of customs duty on wet blue leather.

She proposed 10,000 fellowships under PM Research Fellowship scheme in the next five years for technological research in IITs and IISs. PTI MSS RR TRB

Customs duty exemption on shipbuilding inputs extended to support domestic shipbuilding and export competitiveness. Continuation of customs duty exemption on inputs and components for ship manufacturing is announced for a further ten-year period in the 2025-26 budget to support domestic shipbuilding and international trade. The budget also increases the basic customs duty on interactive flat panel displays, introduces a scheme to promote handicraft exports, grants full customs duty exemption on wet blue leather to promote leather exports, and proposes an expanded PM Research Fellowship cohort for technological research at premier institutes.