



Shrinking income gap with the rich world, by creating more jobs here: Sitharaman
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said multiple proposals in the Union Budget for 2026-27 reflect the goal of job creation, key to closing the per-capita income gap with advanced economies. In an interview with Mint, Sitharaman also touched upon continuing customs reforms, defence sector, state capex, and the revamp of India's rural job guarantee programme.
The Centre has been reducing customs duties and the number of tariff rates, as well as simplifying airport processes, Sitharaman said. Budget FY27 sought to reform customs processes, rationalize customs duty including for aircraft engines and parts, exempt import duty for goods for nuclear power projects and exempt duty on capital goods for making lithium-ion cells. It also eased passenger baggage rules.
“All that has been done till now. We'll still have some more work done, which I couldn't bring in this time. It could be for scanning of the goods which come—Can it be completely mechanized? Can it be devoid of human interface?," the minister said.
The defence sector is witnessing significant investment interest for domestic requirements and exports, Sitharaman said. The FY27 budget has allocated ₹7.85 trillion to the defence ministry, the highest among all ministries. There is a huge investor interest in the sector not only for domestic requirements, but also for exporting from India, she said, adding the success of India-made equipment, artillery and ammunition have made investments attractive.
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