Following are highlights of the Budget:
FISCAL DEFICIT
* Fiscal deficit seen at 5.2 pct of GDP in 2012/13
* Fiscal deficit seen at 4.8 pct of GDP in 2013/14
* Faced with huge fiscal deficit, India had no choice but to rationalise expenditure
BORROWING
* Gross market borrowing seen at 6.29 trln rupees in 2013/14
* Net market borrowing seen at 4.84 trln rupees in 2013/14
* Short-term borrowing seen at 198.44 bln rupees in 2013/14
* To buy back 500 bln rupees worth of bonds in 2013/14
SPENDING
* 2013/14 major subsidies bill estimated at 2.48 trln rupees from 1.82 trln rupees
* Petroleum subsidy seen at 650 bln rupees in 2013/14
* Revised petroleum subsidy for 2012/13 at 968.8 bln rupees
* Estimated 900 bln rupees spending on food subsidies in 2013/14
* Revised food subsidies at 850 bln rupees in 2012/13
* Revised 2012/13 fertiliser subsidy at 659.7 bln rupees
GROWTH
* India faces challenge of getting back to its potential growth rate of 8 pct
* India must unhesitatingly embrace growth as highest goal
SPENDING
* Total budget expenditure seen at 16.65 trln rupees in 2013/14
* India's 2013/14 plan expenditure seen at 5.55 trln rupees
* Revised estimate for total expenditure is 14.3 trln rupees in 2012/13, which is 96 pct of budget estimate
* Set aside 100 bln rupees towards spending on food subsidies in 2013/14
REVENUE
* Expect 133 bln rupees through direct tax proposals in 2013/14
* Expect 47 bln rupees through indirect tax proposals in 2013/14
* Target 558.14 bln rupees from stake sales in state-run firms in 2013/14
CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT
* India's greater worry is the current account deficit - will need more than $75 billion this year and next year to fund deficit
INFLATION
* Food inflation is worrying, will take all steps to augment supply side
TAX
* Proposes surcharge of 10 pct on rich taxpayers with annual income of more than 10 mln rupees a year
* To increase surcharge to 10 pct on domestic companies with annual income of more than 100 mln rupees
* To continue 15 pct tax concession on dividend received by India companies from foreign units for one more year
* Propose to impose withholding tax of 20 pct on profit distribution to shareholders
* Amnesty on service tax non-compliance from 2007
* 10 bln rupees for first installment of balance of GST (Goods and Services Tax) payment
* Propose to reduce securities transaction tax on equity futures to 0.01 pct from 0.017 pct
* Time to introduce commodities transaction tax (CTT)
* CTT on non-agriculture futures contracts at 0.01 pct
CORPORATE SECTOR AND MARKETS
* Plans to issue inflation-indexed bonds
* Proposes capital allowance of 15 pct to companies on investments of more than 1 bln rupees
* Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) can use investments in corporate, government bonds as collateral to meet margin requirements
* Insurance, provident funds can trade directly in debt segments of stock exchanges
* FIIs can hedge forex exposure through exchange-traded derivatives
* Investor with less than 10 pct stake in a company will be regarded as FII, more than 10 pct stake as FDI (foreign direct investment)
* Stock exchange regulator will simplify know-your-customer norms for foreign portfolio investors
* To implement quickly recommendations of financial sector legislative reforms commission
POWER AND ENERGY SECTOR
* Proposes zero customs duty for electrical plants and machinery
* Proposes to move to revenue-sharing from profit-sharing policy in oil and gas sector
* To equalise duties on steam and bituminous coal to 2 pct customs duty and 2 pct cvd (countervailing duty)
FOREIGN TRADE
* To cut duty on exports of precious and semi-precious stones to 2 pct from 10 pct
* No duty on import of ships, vessels
BANKING
* To provide 140 bln rupees capital infusion in state-run banks in 2013/14
DEFENCE
* To allocate 2.03 trln rupees to defence in 2013/14
AGRICULTURE
* To allocate 801.94 bln rupees to rural development in 2013/14
* Plan to allocate 270.49 bln rupees for agriculture in 2013/14
FINANCE MINISTER COMMENTS
* "Faced with a huge fiscal deficit, I have no choice but to rationalize expenditure. We took a dose of bitter medicine. It seems to be working."
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