Get a complete breakdown of Union Budget 2026-27 price changes: which essential items, healthcare, electronics, travel, and green energy products become cheaper, and which goods became costlier. Learn how duty exemptions, TCS adjustments, and excise changes will impact households and consumers starting April 2026.

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27, focusing on boosting infrastructure, supporting domestic manufacturing, creating jobs, and giving relief to consumers amid global trade uncertainties like potential US tariffs. The budget maintains strong capital spending and fiscal discipline, while changes in customs duty, TCS (tax collected at source), and excise have directly affected prices of everyday items, healthcare, travel, electronics, and luxury goods.

The Finance Minister highlighted easing the burden on middle-class families, patients, and exporters while reducing tax loopholes and promoting Make in India. Relief measures include duty exemptions on essential drugs and appliance components, and TCS cuts on overseas remittances. On the other hand, tax hikes target sin goods, imports, and financial trading to raise revenue and ensure compliance.

What Gets Cheaper: Key Relief Measures

These changes are designed to make healthcare, education, travel, green energy, and consumer goods more affordable:

• Cancer drugs & medicines – Basic customs duty exempted on 17 essential drugs like Ribociclib, Abemaciclib, and Venetoclax, reducing treatment costs.
• Overseas tourism packages – TCS cut to 2% from 5–20%, making foreign holidays cheaper.
• Foreign education & medical remittances – TCS reduced to 2% from 5% under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).
• Microwave ovens & parts – Duty exemptions on components to lower appliance prices.
• Leather goods & footwear – Duty-free imports on inputs and rationalised duties for exports.
• Seafood & sports equipment – Duty support to benefit producers and consumers; sports gear exemptions boost ‘Khelo India’ initiatives.
• Smartphones & electronics – Duty cuts on components and personal imports (tariff reduced from 20% to 10%).
• EV batteries & solar panels – Lower duties to promote green mobility and renewable energy.
• TV, cameras, video game parts – Rationalised duties support electronics manufacturing.
• Aircraft parts & energy transition equipment – Reduced tariffs to aid aviation and sustainability.
• Alcoholic liquor scrap & certain minerals – TCS/duty adjustments giving minor relief.

These measures are expected to save households money, especially middle-class families, patients, and urban consumers.

What Gets Costlier: Hikes and Tightening Measures

The budget increased taxes on sin goods, luxuries, and financial transactions to offset relief and protect domestic industries:

• Alcohol – TCS increased (e.g., from 1% to 2%).
• Tobacco products – Higher excise duties on cigarettes and pan masala.
• Coal – Duty hike affecting energy and household costs.
• Income tax misreporting – Penalties raised to 100% of tax plus interest.
• Stock options & futures – STT increased (0.15% for options, 0.05% for futures), raising trading costs.
• Umbrellas & parts – Minimum duty introduced to curb cheap imports.
• Luxury imports – Higher duties or removal of exemptions on items like premium cosmetics, perfumes, and select apparel.

The fiscal deficit target and capital expenditure focus remain unchanged, with no major changes to personal income tax slabs or standard deductions.

Expert View and Consumer Impact

Experts call this a balanced budget, providing relief for healthcare, travel, and green energy while raising taxes on luxury and sin goods for fiscal discipline. Markets reacted cautiously, with sectors like electronics and renewables gaining attention.

Consumers should watch for price changes in stores as measures take effect from April 1, 2026. This budget aims to support India’s growth while addressing immediate affordability concerns.

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