Vol. 02 · Union Budget 2026-27 · thepublicrupee.com · Radical Transparency Edition · 17 April 2026

The Public Rupee

A sovereign ledger for a republic of 1.4 billion — every rupee collected, every rupee spent, traced to the document.

Total Expenditure BE 2026-27

₹53.47L Cr

Fiscal Deficit

₹16.96L Cr

4.4% of GDP

RECEIPTS ₹36.52L CR ▲ 7.2%EXPENDITURE ₹53.47L CR ▲ 7.7%FISCAL DEFICIT ₹16.96L CR · 4.4% GDPSTATES SHARE ₹26.21L CR · 41% DEVOLUTIONINTEREST PAYMENTS ₹13.35L CR · LARGEST LINE ITEMGROSS BORROWING ₹15.68L CRRBI SURPLUS ₹2.69L CR TRANSFERREDCAPEX ₹11.21L CR ▲ 10.1%DEFENCE ₹6.97L CRINCOME TAX ₹11.23L CR ▲ 14.4%CORPORATION TAX ₹9.63L CR ▲ 10.8%GST ₹10.75L CR ▲ 11.0%SUBSIDIES ₹5.06L CRPM-KISAN ₹68,000 CR · 9.3 CR FARMERSRECEIPTS ₹36.52L CR ▲ 7.2%EXPENDITURE ₹53.47L CR ▲ 7.7%FISCAL DEFICIT ₹16.96L CR · 4.4% GDPSTATES SHARE ₹26.21L CR · 41% DEVOLUTIONINTEREST PAYMENTS ₹13.35L CR · LARGEST LINE ITEMGROSS BORROWING ₹15.68L CRRBI SURPLUS ₹2.69L CR TRANSFERREDCAPEX ₹11.21L CR ▲ 10.1%DEFENCE ₹6.97L CRINCOME TAX ₹11.23L CR ▲ 14.4%CORPORATION TAX ₹9.63L CR ▲ 10.8%GST ₹10.75L CR ▲ 11.0%SUBSIDIES ₹5.06L CRPM-KISAN ₹68,000 CR · 9.3 CR FARMERS

The Ledger

Analysis · Data Stories · Explainers

Analysis, data stories, and explainers on India's public finance

1 Apr 20265 min read

India's interest bill: the invisible budget

Interest payments at ₹13.35 lakh crore now consume 25% of every rupee the government collects. How did we get here, who owns the bonds, and what it means for everything else.

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15 Mar 20265 min read

Who decides how much money each state gets?

The Finance Commission formula that distributes ₹11.75 lakh crore annually — and why Uttar Pradesh gets 17.6% while Goa gets 0.3%.

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1 Feb 20263 min read

India's ₹53 lakh crore budget, visualized

The Union Budget 2026-27 in seven charts — where the money comes from, where it goes, and what the numbers actually mean.

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