New Delhi: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced several basic customs duty (BCD) exemptions in her ninth Union Budget to boost manufacturing, exports, clean energy, healthcare, and aviation, aligning with Viksit Bharat goals. These waivers aim to cut import costs, deepen value chains, and ease patient burdens amid fiscal prudence at 4.3% deficit, reports said.
As healthcare relief, Sitharaman proposed BCD exemption on 17 essential cancer drugs and medicines, slashing treatment costs for patients reliant on imports. Additionally, import duties waived on drugs, medicines, and special medical foods for seven more rare diseases, expanding prior coverage to improve affordability and access.
Reports said the exemptions extended for capital goods in lithium-ion battery, BESS manufacturing, and sodium antimonate for solar glass till 2035. Nuclear power projects gain full BCD relief on imports, now for all capacities, plus waivers for critical mineral processing to secure energy transition.
This apart, duty-free imports raised for seafood processing inputs from 1% to 3% of prior export turnover; extended to shoe uppers alongside leather footwear. Microwave oven parts exempted to enhance electronics value addition beyond assembly. Aviation sector benefits: BCD waived on civilian/training aircraft components and defence MRO raw materials.
Moreover, Biogas value excluded from CNG excise duty calculations; SEZ units allowed one-time concessional DTA sales up to export proportion. Long-standing exemptions removed for domestically produced items, with effective rates integrated into tariff schedules for simplicity, the reports said.
