•   Credit Policy highlights
  •   RBI bars co-op banks from lending against stocks
  •   Guidelines on banks' exposure to stocks in May
  •   RBI leaves bank rate, CRR unchanged
  •   RBI hints at easier monetary stance
  •   RBI says will meet forex market mismatches
  •   RBI says prefers soft interest rates
  •   RBI sees current year GDP growth at 6-6.5%
  •   Slowdown in services sector has hit economy: RBI
  •   Automatic route opens for FDI in NBFCs
  •   Fed cut good for Indian economy: Jalan
  •   Lower interest rates to exporters welcome: Sinha
  •   RBI bets on IT despite slowdown
  •   Limited impact of RBI moves seen on markets
  •   Fund managers seek new avenues to park funds
  •   Bankers, trade bodies welcome Credit Policy
  •   Stable inflation, low PLR to help cut interest rate: Jalan
  •  Exim Policy dismantles QRs
  •  Maran for lower rates to exporters
  •  India opens markets to global trade
  •  Highlights of the Exim Policy 2001-2002
  •  India allows conditional used-car imports
  •  Budget 2001 -- CII raises sectoral grievances: BS
  •  Selloff money may be used to retire public debt: BS
  •  Sinha's Budget makes NTF import easier: BS
  •  VDS simplifies levy on excise, customs duty: BS
  •  Draft bill to lift ban on contract labour: BS
  •  Car prices may dip further on duty phase-out: BS
  •  'Budget ignored dairy sector's demand': BS
  •  It was 'my budget', not prepared by PMO: Sinha
  •  IT sector seeks clarity on tax proposals: BS
  •  Taxman cometh to pinch your perks: BS
  •  Maharashtra may lose Rs 65 billion: BS
  •  Taxation regime in for overhaul: BS
  •  ITC counter-offer for VST at Rs 115 a share: BS
  •  DoD sees sell-off of 15 firms by June: BS
  •  Sea change in industrial relations seen: BS
  •  Exporters laud FM's liberal exports policy: BS
  •  Life, non-life risk firms form councils: BS
  •  HDFC cuts loan, deposit rates: BS
  •  MIG will spur housing demand: BS
  •  CVD plays spoilsport for liquor import: BS
  •  Sebi can approve overseas funds: BS
  •  Budget expected to benefit cement sector: BS
  •  Govt may announce new drug policy in June: BS
  •  Tatas open to strategic ally for Net arm: BS
  •  Sinha seeks industry help in selling his reform package
  •  RBI cuts bank rate by 0.5% to 7%: Reuters
  •  Govt will not go back on privatisation: Sinha
  •  NRI industrialists welcome Sinha's Budget
  •  Budget Impact: Boost to bond funds
  •  'Budget silent on software product firms'
  •  Budget gives rate flexibility, says RBI's Reddy
  •  Budget Impact: Bond funds post phenomenal gains
  •  Budget Impact: No more dividend stripping
  •  Respectable growth possible for India: RBI
  •  Sinha hopes for early RBI decision on rates
  •  Media heaps praise on Sinha's budget: Reuters
  •  Budget Impact: Auto components
  •  Budget Impact: Automobiles
  •  Budget Impact: Basic Petrochemicals and Polymers
  •  Budget Impact: Other capital goods
  •  Budget Impact: Cement
  •  Budget Impact: Chloralkali
  •  Budget Impact: Cigarettes
  •  Budget Impact: Consumer durables
  •  Budget Impact: Cotton and cotton yarn
  •  Budget Impact: Downstream Petrochemicals
  •  Entire text of the Budget Speech | The Finance Bill
  •  Budget Impact -- Economy: CRISIL
  •  When critics sang paeans for Sinha
  •  Telecom services in focus: CRISIL
  •  Power sector under CRISIL microscope
  •  CRISIL view on Banking and Housing Finance
  •  CRISIL's sector Focus : Roads & Ports
  •  Maruti, Hyundai, Bajaj Auto slash prices
  •  Service with a smile, plus 5% taxes: NetScribes
  •  Fiscal Deficit -- The FM did it: D&B
  •  Budget beats expectations: CRISIL
  •  The Budget strategy: CRISIL
  •  Impact on companies in the Infotech sector: BS
  •  Ask, and you shall receive…, said the FM
  •  Perks must be mentioned in salary slips from '02-'03
  •  'Budget has no thrust for the housing sector'
  •  Personal Finance: CRISIL
  •  India Inc dubs it an excellent Budget: BS/NetScribes
  •  Impact on companies in Refineries sector : BS
  •  India Inc becomes more competitive: BS
  •  Primary float mart to be deepened: BS
  •  Impact on companies in the Cement sector: BS
  •  Mutual funds, clear winners from this Budget: BS
  •  Impact on companies in the Pharma sector: BS
  •  Fungibility offers liquidity avenue: BS
  •  Impact on companies in the FMCG sector: BS
  •  Clearing corporation to bring mart alive: BS
  •  Small savings rate cut boosts bank stocks: BS
  •  In BSRB's death lies banks' salvation: BS
  •  House warming ceremony for FIs: BS
  •  Impact on companies in Automobile sector: BS
  •  NBFC goliaths to make debut: BS
  •  FII exposure set to touch 49% in HDFC: BS
  •  Grey areas in insurance firms' taxation remain: BS
  •  Thumbs up to FII limit hike, few firms to benefit: BS
  •  IBA to move govt over TDS on deposits: BS
  •  Borrowing plan high but manageable, says RBI: BS
  •  Devolution up, but aid to Central schemes cut: BS
  •  Rationalise the devolution: Maharashtra CM: BS
  •  Budget with a human face: Uttar Pradesh CM: BS
  •  More political will needed: Madhya Pradesh CM: BS
  •  Anti-people, pro-capitalist: Bihar CM: BS
  •  Indiscriminate liberalisation: West Bengal CM: BS
  •  A valiant effort: Karnataka CM: BS
  •  States' game plan: BS
  •  Hopes soar, 11.25% increase aimed for '01-02: BS
  •  Sinha raises the wind, sets target at Rs 120 bnn: BS
  •  Interest rates cut by 1%-1.5%: BS
  •  M&A in infotech sector to get boost: BS
  •  'Our effort was to decontrol the economy further': BS
  •  Not many direct proposals: BS
  •  Mitigating the 'labour' pains: BS
  •  14 more items dereserved: BS
  •  Tax holiday extended to cover all: BS
  •  More taxes spoil the fun: BS
  •  Hardware hardly touched: BS
  •  Wipro terms the Budget fantastic
  •  Positive impact on on debt & MF marts: CRISIL
  •  Impact on IT, cars, cement, pharma positive: CRISIL
  •  Goa CM says it is a 'positive shock'
  •  Infosys hails Sinha for granting sops to IT industry
  •  Software upbeat, but hardware industry disappointed
  •  Budget at a glance: CRISIL
  •  Surcharge burden on personal income dips: NetScribes
  •  Small cars to be cheaper by Rs 32,000: NetScribes
  •  FM cuts TDS for TV gameshow winners: NetScribes
  •  Looking good from all angles, says D&B
  •  Gold prices crash as import duty is reduced
  •  No frills, it's just business for Sinha
  •  Cigarettes, tea dearer; gold, cement, cheaper
  •  Defence outlay hiked by 13.8 per cent
  •  Oppn peeved, says Budget anti-poor, anti-labour
  •  Budget widens tax net; sops for taxpayers
  •  How the rupee comes; how the rupee goes
  •  Favourable impact on equity markets: CRISIL
  •  Postal tariffs hike; postcards, letters to cost Re 1 more
  •  Highlights of the Budget 2001-2002
  •  FII limit in domestic firms raised to 49%
  •  Central staff strength to be cut by 2% per annum
  •  Service tax net expanded: PTI
  •  More...

•  'In India a pure hire and fire policy is not justified' 'I have decided to respect the autonomy of the RBI and give them full freedom in matters within their jurisdiction.' Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha on the Rediff Budget Chat.   •  'The Budget is not without political risks' 'Abolishing BSRB, amending the Contract Labour Regulation Act... amending Chapter 5A of the Industrial Disputes Act, reducing interest rates and contractual savings, disinvestment, these are all inherent political risks,' says former finance minister Palaniappan Chidambaram.   •  'There is nothing in the Budget to suggest that the growth will accelerate' 'The Budget is too optimistic to ignore the impact of inflation,' says Prof B B Bhattacharya of the Institute of Economic Growth.   •  'Politicians want to run down the public sector' 'I am not happy with the overall thrust of the Budget. It is focused on stock market sentiments and caters more to the FII requirements, says Prithviraj Chavan, Congress MP.   •  'Budget is good despite slowdown' 'In the long-term point of view, the minister is pursuing the right policy as he is widening the income-tax net and reducing indirect tax rates,' says economist Dr U Sankar.   •  A Welfare Budget: Minister 'It will give an impetus to industry and business because of the lower fiscal deficit and proposed tax reforms,' says Minister of State for Finance Ginjee Ramachandran.   •  'Debt is the new mantra' 'For too long we have been trying to catch our tail on equities and have more or less ignored the debt market,' says Udayan Bose, chairman Lazard India.   •  'Fine words from the finance minister have often contrasted with tardy implementation' 'This year is especially difficult. If he is serious about an exit policy, reform of the power sector and accelerated privatisation, this will turn out to have been an excellent Budget,' says John Band, CEO of ASK-Raymond James.   •  'We have many positive concerns about the Budget' 'Continuation of food subsidies, continuation of fertiliser subsidies...' says TDP leader Yerran Naidu.   •  A distressing sale 'Whichever way you look at it, BALCO is a dud deal. The price is wrong. The methodology is opaque and unconvincing. The choice of buyer, unfortunate. Someone somewhere has made a terrible mistake and it needs to be quickly corrected. Otherwise, we have a serious problem of credibility out here,' says Pritish Nandy.   •  Leaders on the Budget What do Manohar Joshi, I K Gujral, Mulayam Singh Yadav, etc think of the Budget? In Real Audio.   •  'The Budget will accentuate unemployment instead of creating jobs' 'It is good for industry and also to a certain extent for agriculture. But as far as the common man is concerned, I don't think it is good,' says BJP economist Dr Jay Dubashi.   •  'The situation is almost on the verge of bankruptcy' 'It's a bits and pieces Budget. Lots of things are there, but these do not add up to anything substantial,' says Marxist MP Biplab Dasgupta.   •  'It's Sinha's best Budget' 'In the mid- to long-term, the common man will benefit as the economy will tend to lower cost,' says Anil Epur, president, CII, southern region.   •  'The armed forces are an insurance policy' 'This Budget is not as good as the armed forces would have liked it to be,' says former army chief General (retd) V P Malik.   •  'We will meet the fiscal targets set by us' 'Mr Sinha has not been nice to all. In fact there are some who say he has not been nice to anyone,' says Union Minister of State for Commerce Omar Abdullah.   •  'The markets are expected to remain buoyant, vibrant and rise' 'Expectations were not very highs so we may not see the bear slide,' says stockbroker Ajit Sanghvi.   •  'Privatisation should move forward after BALCO' 'The FM's measures augur well for the market in the near term,' says Abhishek Dalmia.   •  Business on Budget: In Real Audio Rahul Bajaj, Sunil Mittal, K K Modi, Arun Bharat Ram...What do the nation's leading businessmen say about the Budget? Listen to their reactions in Real Audio.   •  The Budget Speech, in Real Audio Hear what Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said...

•  Rediff-CRISIL Budget Impact Analysis

•  Rediff-Business Standard Budget Impact Analysis

•  Rediff-Dun & Bradstreet Budget Impact Analysis

• 'Sinha had the courage to reaffirm govt's commitment to reform' Former finance minister Palaniappan Chidambaram assesses the Budget. Exclusive to rediff.com   • Nothing extreme in the Budget: FM's wife 'There was a feeling built up that it would be harsh. But the Budget is soft with a lot of things that economists had been expecting. And despite that he hasn't been too harsh on the ordinary people.'   • Very positive! Jewella C Miranda captures the mood at the CII Budget summit in Bombay.   •'Sensex should cross 4550' 'The only disappointment is the complete absence of any big-picture reform. Many small measures, but nothing massive,' says stockbroker and host of the Rediff Money Chat, Ramesh Damani.   • 'We need not be prisoners of dogma and jargon' 'I have a feeling that soon after the assembly elections, both the railway and the main Budget will be revised,' says former prime minister I K Gujral.   • 'This Budget is blatantly elitist' 'The Budget is definitely not pro-farmer. It is not unexpected, as the government is very obedient to the implementation of structural adjustment programmes of the World Bank,' says farmers leader Professor M D Nanjundaswamy.   • 'The Budget is pro-agriculture and pro-industry' 'Keeping in mind that Quantitive Restrictions will be lifted in April, Sinha has increased duties to the maximum limit to help agriculture and industry,' says Heavy Industry Minister Manohar Joshi.   • 'The FM has done a good balancing act' 'If he is able to implement the proposals he has outlined, he should be able to maintain the fiscal deficit below five per cent,' says Sunil Kant Munjal, MD, Hero Cycles.   • 'India will continue on a high growth path' 'The IT sector have always been a one to invest in. Now is as good as any,' says Manoj Chugh, President (India and SAARC), Cisco Systems.   • 'A hat-trick IT Budget' 'The loan scheme for students will help a lot of youngsters to go in for higher education. The future of the software industry has been secured,' says Dewang Mehta, president, Nasscom.   • 'Cars will be more affordable to the middle-class' C K Birla, Chairman, Hindustan Motors, feels the market for small cars will expand.   • 'Budget will be good for mutual funds' 'Dividend tax has been reduced from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, which is good news.' Dileep Madgavkar, chief investment officer, Prudential ICICI.   • 'This Budget has the potential to make us global giants' Pasupati Advani, stockbroker, exudes confidence at the finance minister's proposals.   • 'Hope the govt will be able to implement this Budget' 'The Budget is free of inflation-inducing measures, which is of great comfort to the salaried class:' Economist Shubhashis Gangopadhyay.   • 'I wonder whether so much can be delivered' 'Competitiveness of Indian industry is dependent on robust R&D, there is not much to stimulate corporate R&D:' Ashok Leyland MD R Seshasayee.   • 'Boost for new and old economies' Jagi Mangat Panda, director, Ortel Communications Ltd, says the Budget will propel growth across sectors.   • 'As a software man, I'll give the Budget 10/10' 'All the points which have been asked for by Nasscom and the broader points by CII have come through:' Ashok Soota, chairman, Mindtree Consulting.   •  'It is better than the last Budget' 'With the ceiling for FIIs going up to 49 per cent, this will end in resource mobilisation:' Rakesh Mittal, managing director, Bharti Telecom.   •  'The focus on IT, technical education is a good thing' 'We are happy about the increased IT spend:' Vinay Deshpande, President, MAIT.   • 'Interest rates will fall' 'The Budget is well balanced for the long-run growth of the economy. But there is nothing in it to kick-start the economy from its slowdown:' Mahesh Vyas, director, Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy.   • 'Efficiency will increase with compact staff' 'It is a great Budget because the finance minister has initiated action on many fronts, like corporate taxes, indirect taxes, infrastructure, agriculture, government expenditure and downsizing of the government:' Tarun Das, director, CII.   • 'This makes the Rail Budget feel like a bad dream' 'This year, the deficit has been on track. For next year, a lower fiscal deficit has been targeted. If this trend continues, we should be beginning the process of correction. We will most certainly not go the Mexico way,' feels economist Dr Isher Judge Ahluwalia.   •  'There are feel good factors in many areas' 'The simplification of taxation is the hallmark of the Budget,' feels H F Khorakiwala, chairman, Wockhardt.   •  'QRs being removed could have got more attention' 'We would like to see actual action and implementation, in power sector reforms and privatisation:' Jairaj Purandare, managing partner, Arthur Andersen.   •  'Govt has no business to be in business' 'I'm happy the finance minister has done all we wanted him to do for our industry:' says Madhur Bajaj, director, Bajaj Auto.   •  'There's no incentive in the Budget for small savings' 'The government is losing the possible revenue it could have generated from the public,' says K Vasudevan, director Alstom Ltd.   •  'The minister has taken adequate steps' 'He has recognised that the stock markets require a boost:' R V Kanoria, vice-president, FICCI.   •  'All the Budget announcements have been positive' 'The overall thrust in infrastructure, agriculture and heath are very positive,' says Inderdeep Singh, chairman, CII, Small Industry Committee.   •  'I was expecting a harsher Budget' 'The finance minister seems to be a little more serious this year, about getting people into the investment mode, rather than the savings mode,' says Britannia Chairman Sunil Alagh.   •  'Capital account convertibility taken further ahead' 'By allowing ADR and Indian shares being fundable,' says J M Morgan Stanley vice-chairman P Krishnamurthy.   •  'A Budget clearly aiming for the sky' Bharti Chairman Sunil Mittal on the Budget.   •  'If this feel good Budget doesn't work, nothing will' Mukand President Suketu V Shah assesses the Budget.   • Highlights | Rail Budget speech | Full coverage   •  The Monetary & Creidt Policy: Full coverage   •  The Exim Policy: Full coverage   •  Economic Survey 2000-2001: Full coverage   •  What is the Union Budget? What is the Budget? Why is it so important? Why does it affect all of us? And above all, how does one interpret the budgetary lingo flying around? Read on to find out…