K GiriprakashNew Delhi, Feb. 2 -- union Budget 2026 delivered a split verdict for Corporate India, offering measured tax rationalisation and incremental investment incentives while triggering one of the sharpest market corrections in recent memory.
On paper, the Finance Minister has adhered to a fiscally conservative script, protected capital expenditure at a record Rs 12.2 lakh crore, and provided targeted incentives across manufacturing, biopharma, container production, textiles, and MSMEs-clearly indicating its intent to rebuild India's industrial base amid global supply-chain realignment.
Yet the immediate market reaction told a starkly different story: a steep hike in securities transaction tax on derivatives, the second in 18 months...