Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed duty-free imports of certain specified inputs for promoting the country's exports of leather.
The move will help provide cushion to leather exporters who are reeling under the steep 50% US tariffs.
The country's leather and leather products shipments dipped marginally 0.23% to $3.3 billion during April–December 2025–26.
1 January 2026
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She also exempted parts used to manufacture microwave ovens from basic customs duty.
Sitharaman announced that India will develop 15 archaeological sites, including Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, Sarnath, and Hastinapur.
She also proposed to extend the time period of exports of final products from six months to one year for exporters of leather, and textile garments.
Further, the minister said that the government will support Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India to scale up production of assistive devices.
