Ravi Shankar Prasad asks electronics manufacturers to take full advantage of tax incentives
India TV NewsUnion Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday exhorted electronics and mobile makers to take full advantage of the tax incentives announced by the government, saying the latest measures underlined the commitment to transform India into a manufacturing hub. The comments came after the government slashed the tax rate for companies by almost 10 percentage points to 25.17 per cent and offered a lower rate of 17.01 per cent for new manufacturing firms in a bid to bolster economic growth rate from a six-year low by incentivising investments to help create jobs. Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that to attract fresh investment in manufacturing and boost Make In India, new provision has been inserted in the I-T Act, which allows any new domestic company incorporated on or after October 1, 2019, making fresh investment in manufacturing, and starting operations before March 31, 2023, an option to pay income tax at 15 per cent. The effective rate for new companies would come to 17.01 per cent after considering surcharges and cess subject to the condition that they do not avail any other tax incentive or concession such as tax holidays enjoyed by units in special economic zones or accelerated depreciation.