Fiscal deficit for H1 at 36.5% of FY26 target

India’s fiscal deficit in April-September was 5.73 trillion rupees ($65.19 billion) or 36.5% of the estimate for the financial year ending March 31.The fiscal deficit was 29% of the Budget Estimates of 2024-25 in the first six months of the previous financial year.

In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit, or gap between the government’s expenditure and revenue, was Rs 5,73,123 crore in the April-September period of 2025-26. The Centre estimates the fiscal deficit during 2025-26 at 4.4% of the GDP, or Rs 15.69 lakh crore.

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Key highlights

The CGA data showed that the government received Rs 16.95 lakh crore (49.6% of the corresponding BE 2025-26 of total receipts) up to September 2025.

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This comprised Rs 12.29 lakh crore tax revenue (net to Centre), Rs 4.6 lakh crore of non-tax revenue and Rs 34,770 crore of non-debt capital receipts.

With the inputs from PTI