India Today Group
Surfers' comments
The threshold limits on tax need to be increased and tax rates should be spread across more slabs so as not to hurt the salaried class. - Jayaraman

The I-T exemption for men should be Rs 1.8 lakh. Rs 1.5 lakh is peanuts. - Naveen Kumar
More »
Expert comments
Gaurav Taneja,
Partner & National Tax Director says the Finance Minister has stressed on buoyancy in tax collections and on attaining a Tax—GDP ratio of 12.5%.
Motilal Oswal, Chairman and Managing Director of Motilal Oswal Financial Services says the Finance Minister was uniquely positioned to present a landmark Budget.
Srinivasa Rao, Partner & India International Tax Leader, Ernst & Young is of the opinion that Union Budget has lived up to the populist trend.
Calculators
How this budget affects your
daily life:
Risk Calculator
Future Needs Calculator
Tax Calculator
SIP Calculator
Union Budget 2008-09  »   Feedback
How do you rate Budget 2008?
  Print   Email   A  A  A
 

It is good to see that this budget lays so much emphasis on reforms for agricultural sector. Thrust on education and infrastructure is also a welcome step.

- Dr Nikhil Saket (nikhil_saket@rediffmail.com)

This budget has put more emphasis on agriculture, infrastructure and banking sector.

- Tarun (tarun_catch93@yahoo.co.in)

Home loans should have lesser interest rates. But overall it is a nice work.

- Swapnil Joshi (Swapnil_vjoshi@yahoo.com)

There is nothing for advanced technology level education which incidentally is the driving force behind the economy. However, by and large, it is a good budget.

- Yashpal Siwariya (siwayash@gmail.com)

It is a good budget for farmers and for those in the education sector.

- P Balasubramanian (baladiwan@yahoo.co.in)

Income tax exemption limit for men should be Rs 1.8 lakh. In the metros, with a Rs 1.5 lakh limit, there is nothing to save. It is a hand to mouth existence.

- Naveen Kumar (naveen1712j@gmail.com)

It is a good budget for the salaried people who form the largest chunk of tax payers. But our finance minister has to think about reducing housing loan interests and increasing Section 80 C limit to Rs 1,50,000.

- Ilesh Kiritkumar Shah (ileshkshah@yahoo.com)

Our finance minister has given a good income tax relief. He knows that when the pay commission is implemented all the benefits will come back to the kitty.

- Prakash Siddu (prakashsiddu@indiatimes.com)

I would like to thank the finance minister for a good budget with special focus on education. I appreciate the decision to open an IIT in Bihar.

- Rakesh Shukla (rkshukla74@yahoo.com)

The tax on home loan is a great concern but the finance minister has not done anything to reduce it.

- Harshad Nanivadekar (naniharshad2000@yahoo.com)

Debt relief is a politically correct action. But it may not check the suicides of farmers.

- Kiran Ojha (upadhyay_jnv@yahoo.co.in)

The income tax exemption limit should have been at least Rs 2 lakh for all salaried employees while for others the finance minister could keep it at Rs 1.5 lakh.

- Amar Agarwal (amar1601@rotem.co.kr)

A cut in the rate of income tax and increase in the exemption limit will give great relief to the middle classes.

- Rajeev Jain (jainrajeev_13@ediffmail.com)

This budget is alarming for investors.

- Nitin Agarwal (nitin_jdbi@rediffmail.com)

Please give assured rates for agricultural produce. The farmers will relax from all their tensions.

- Dnyaneshwar P Hire (hiraydp@yahoo.com)

The budget is good for salaried persons. One samosa chole vender earns Rs 20,000 per month, but does not pay a single paisa in tax. On the contrary, a salaried person earning Rs 13,000 per month has to pay tax. Is this fair?

- Kamal Punj (kamal_punj22@sify.com)

1 2 3 4 5
Sector Analysis
AUTO
Negotiating a rough patch
Demand growth is expected to be buoyant driven by new vehicle launches, likely softening of interest rates and continued growth on the export front.
More »
Railway Budget
Lalu presents people's budget, slashes fares
The minister announced launch of several new trains and reduction in fares across all classes amid chaos by Opposition in Parliament.
More »
Features
A budget for Bharat
Buoyant tax revenues a lower fiscal deficit and an economy that's in top gear permit the FM to pump big money into agriculture and the social sector. Those efforts might help at the hustings, too.
More »
Economic Survey
'Expand telecom infrastructure, R&D'
"With rapid growth of telecom network, there is a need to further expand the infrastructure and research and development," the survey said.
More »
Surfers' comments
This is a very good budget, especially for agriculture and education. P Chidambaram is the best.
- By Saravanan P (plsharavanan@rediffmail.com)
If you can waive Rs 50,000 crore for farmers what about the tax on housing loan interest? That should also have been reduced.
- Chandra Shekar V (rilshekar@yahoo.co.in)
Please tax the street hawkers and give relief to the salaried persons.
- Rajaram (rajaramghurup@rediffmail.com)
This is the worst budget the finance minister has ever presented. The backbone of the country's economy is the transport but he completely missed it out.
- Jayakaanthan A (jayakaanthan@gmail.com)
The budget is sure to augment growth and will also lessen the volatility of the stock markets.
- Sidharth Paul (sidharth.paul@gmail.com)
Overall, the budget is satisfactory but the health sector should have been given greater importance.
- Ankit Chaudhary (chaudharyankit1987@gmail.com)
More »
Send your feedback
Name
E mail
Business Today's Budget edition
Editorial: Predictably populist budget
Special: Something for everyone...
Column: All for the common man
Exclusive interview with the FM
Maintaining the growth story
The Finance Minister defends Budget 2008 and the Rs 60,000 crore loan waiver doled out to farmers in an exclusive interview to Business Today's Sanjoy Narayan and R Sridharan.
VOX CEOs
"Total reduction of excise duties by 2% will give a welcome boost to the manufacturing sector. Also, the exemption of specified parts of set-top boxes from customs duties is commendable".
- Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises
More »
Advertisement
Beginner’s guide to budget
Union Budget is an estimate of the Government of India's revenue and expenditure for the end of a particular fiscal year, which usually runs from April 1 to March 31. Read on...
More »
Poll
Are you satisfied with Chidambaram's budget proposals for 2008-09?
Yes
No
Can't Say