Patients and the consumer electronics sector are set to get some relief as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced cuts in customs duties on selected items in the Union Budget 2026-27. Seventeen cancer drugs, medicines, and food for special medical purposes for seven rare diseases will now be exempt from basic customs duty, offering relief to patients requiring expensive treatments. The exemptions aim to make vital drugs and medical supplies more accessible and affordable.

In addition, components used in the manufacture of microwave ovens and sodium antimonate for solar glass will also see duty cuts, promoting domestic production and value addition in electronics and renewable energy sectors. Customs duty exemptions have also been extended for imports of capital goods for processing critical minerals and equipment required for nuclear power projects until 2035, regardless of plant capacity. The aviation sector, both civil and defence, will benefit from duty-free imports of parts for aircraft manufacture, maintenance, repair, and overhaul.

However, some items are set to become costlier. Imported low-cost umbrellas will now attract a minimum customs duty of Rs 60 or 20%, whichever is higher. Similarly, duty exemptions on ATM/cash dispensers, coffee roasting and vending machines, television and camera equipment for foreign film units, and zoo animals and birds will lapse, making these imports more expensive. These changes come into effect immediately or from April 1, 2026, for certain items, reflecting a shift in government policy to balance trade facilitation with revenue collection.