Budget 2025: Full List of Cheaper and Costlier Items

In the Union Budget 2025-26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced significant changes in custom duties, impacting both consumers and industries across India. While the budget focuses on promoting economic growth, supporting local manufacturing, and enhancing middle-class welfare, the revisions in import duties will make some products cheaper and others costlier.

Here’s the detailed explanation of what’s getting cheaper and what’s getting costlier

What’s Becoming Cheaper?

Electronics and Mobile Goods

Mobile Phone Components: Duty exemptions on 28 items used in mobile phone battery manufacturing will decreases the prices for phones and accessories.

LED/LCD TVs: A reduction in duties on open cells and other essential components will make TV production more affordable.

EV Batteries and Components: Reduced duties on lithium-ion battery scrap, cobalt, and other key materials will make electric vehicles more cost-effective, with a focus on increasing EV usage over the country.

Medical Equipment and Life-saving Drugs: The budget exempts 36 critical medicines, including cancer drugs, from basic customs duty (BCD). Various medical devices and equipment also benefit from reduced duties by considering the health as important factor.

Raw Materials for Leather and Shipbuilding: Import duties on wet blue leather and raw materials for shipbuilding have been reduced, benefiting the leather and shipbuilding industries.

Agriculture and Marine Products

Seafood Imports: Duty reductions on frozen fish paste and fish hydrolysate will help lower production costs for seafood-based products, promoting exports.

What’s Becoming Costlier?

Electronics and Displays

Interactive Flat Panel Displays: Customs duties on interactive flat-panel displays have been increased from 10% to 20%, making large interactive screens more expensive for businesses and consumers.

Textile and Apparel

Knitted Fabrics: A hike in customs duties for knitted fabrics may lead to higher costs for the textile industry, particularly for clothing and apparel items. The duty increase is aimed at boosting domestic textile production and promoting technical textiles.

List of Cheaper and Costlier Items

Conclusion

The Union Budget 2025 reflects a balanced approach to fostering growth in key sectors such as electronics, healthcare, and agriculture, while also strategically raising duties on certain imports to encourage local production. While some products will become more affordable, others will face price increases, particularly in the electronics and textile sectors. These revisions are expected to have a long-term impact on India's manufacturing landscape and consumer prices.