Budget 2026: What gets cheaper, what gets costlier

The Union Budget 2026-27 has delivered targeted relief for consumers, exporters and strategic industries, while tightening taxes and select goods or assets.

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The proposals aim to improve the quality of life, support domestic manufacturing and exports, and generate additional revenue from financial markets and sin products.Among the most consumer-facing measures, the government, in the Budget, has sharply reduced the tax collected at source (TCS) on overseas tour packages to 2 per cent, down from the earlier 5-20 per cent structure, without any minimum amount.

Similarly, TCS on foreign remittances for education and medical treatment under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) has been cut from 5 per cent to 2 per cent, easing cash-flow pressures on households sending money abroad.

Healthcare has also received a boost, with basic customs duty (BCD) fully exempted on 17 cancer and critical illness drugs.

In addition, seven additional rare diseases have been added to the list of conditions eligible for duty-free personal imports of medicines and food for special medical purposes.