{
  "id": 3481863,
  "title": "Union Budget: Customs duty cuts to facilitate domestic battery, solar cells manufacturing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/union-budget-customs-duty-cuts-to-facilitate-domestic-battery-solar",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-26T09:46:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/business/budget/union-budget-tax-exemption-capital-goods-lithium-ion-cells-for-battery-storage/article70577366.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget on February 1, 2026, focusing on customs duty exemptions to encourage domestic manufacturing of clean-energy components such as lithium-ion batteries and solar cells. The basic customs duty on sodium antimonate, essential for solar glass production, was reduced from 7.5% to 0%. Additionally, specified capital goods for lithium-ion cell manufacturing, along with components used in nuclear power projects, were exempted from customs duty. The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, passed last year, incentivizes private companies to invest in nuclear power plants, with the Centre announcing a ₹20,000-crore Nuclear Energy Mission to develop five indigenously designed Small Modular Reactors by 2033. Despite the push for nuclear energy, the overall budget for the Department of Atomic Energy increased by 2% to ₹38,422 crore, with atomic energy research receiving an 8% rise to ₹10,000 crore. Meanwhile, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy saw a significant allocation increase to ₹32,914 crore from ₹26,549 crore in the previous year. The Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, aiming to solar-electrify one crore households by 2026-27, remains the largest component of the budget, with ₹22,000 crore earmarked for the scheme this year, up from ₹20,000 crore last year. The budget underscores India's commitment to sustainability, energy security, and inclusive growth, according to Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi. \"The duty exemptions for capital goods for lithium-ion cell manufacturing and inputs used in solar glass production reinforce India's energy transition within a broader push for industrial competitiveness and resilient supply chains,\" noted Trishant Dev, deputy programme manager at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).",
  "summary": "Customs exemptions for lithium-ion batteries, solar glass; renewable energy outlay rises",
  "key_points": [
    "Customs duty on sodium antimonate cut to 0% for solar glass production",
    "Capital goods for lithium-ion cell manufacturing and nuclear power components exempt from duty",
    "Nuclear Energy Mission to develop 5 Small Modular Reactors by 2033"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}