Developers in the realty sector, which is facing severe credit crunch due to higher interest rates, expect the government to relax norms for repatriation of FDI and external commercial borrowings (ECBs) in the forthcoming Budget for 2012-13.

Ahead of the presentation of the Union budget, software icon N R Narayana Murthy on Monday urged the government to make it easier for businesses to grow and foreign direct investment, among others.

Indian equities markets rose as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday started reading out his budget speech with promises of cutting subsidies and improving the investment environment.

Railways has earned Rs 92,985.50 crore during April-February period as compared to Rs 84,402.34 crore for the same period last fiscal, registering an increase of 10.17 percent.

The cash-starved airline industry is looking forward to the ensuing budget with great expectations as it desperately wants changes in the FDI policy on aviation and more tax sops to help reduce the high debt and cost burden.

Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Sunday emphasized on raising funds for the safety operations of the Indian Railways.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said the growth of the Indian economy estimated at 6.9 percent during this fiscal year was "disappointing" as he started presenting what was his seventh federal budget in the Lok Sabha.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday announced Rs 1,00,000 crore increase in the agriculture credit target to Rs 5,75,000 for the next fiscal and raised the outlay for farm sector by about Rs 3,000 crore.

A high-level railway safety review committee here on Friday suggested Rs one lakh crore investment in five years and setting up of a railway safety authority as an independent body for improving the deteriorating condition of Indian Railways.

Shares of public sector banks rallied sharply on the bourses, as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced capital infusion for them in the Union Budget for 2012-13.