What is the story about?
Budget impact on Anant Raj stock: Shares of Anant Raj -- a prominent New Delhi-based real estate developer which expanded its business into data centres
and cloud services through its subsidiary, Anant Raj Cloud -- climbed more than 7 per cent after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget for FY27 unveiled a series of structural measures to accelerate growth in the electronics, IT and artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. On Monday -- a day after the Budget 2026 presentation -- the stock surged as much as 7.26 per cent to Rs 570.50 on the BSE, hitting an intraday high. It was trading at Rs 547.95, up nearly 3 per cent from the previous close.
Budget push for IT, cloud and AI infrastructure
In her Budget speech, Sitharaman positioned the IT sector as India’s growth engine, announcing a comprehensive policy framework to strengthen India’s software services and digital infrastructure ecosystem.
She said that India’s software development, IT-enabled services, knowledge process outsourcing and contract R&D segments will now be clubbed under a single category of “Information Technology Services”, with a common safe harbour margin of 15.5 per cent. The threshold for availing safe harbour has also been raised sharply from Rs 300 crore to Rs 2,000 crore, significantly expanding the scope of companies eligible for simplified tax treatment.
The Finance Minister also announced that safe harbour approvals for IT services will now be granted through an automated, rule-driven process, eliminating discretionary tax officer intervention, with companies allowed to continue the same safe harbour regime for five years. In addition, the Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreement (APA) process for IT services will be fast-tracked, with a targeted conclusion timeline of two years, extendable by six months on request.
Major boost for data centres and cloud services
Crucially for data centre-linked plays, Sitharaman announced a long-term tax holiday till 2047 for foreign companies providing global cloud services using data centre infrastructure based in India, positioning the country as a long-term hub for global digital infrastructure. Such firms, however, will be required to serve Indian customers through an Indian reseller entity.
She also proposed a 15 per cent safe harbour on cost for related entities providing data centre services from India, creating tax certainty for multinational cloud and hyperscale players operating through Indian infrastructure platforms.
The policy clarity on data centres and cloud services aligns closely with the government’s broader AI infrastructure vision.
Govt’s AI data centre vision
After the Budget presentation, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that data centres — especially AI data centres — form the core infrastructure layer of India’s AI architecture. He added that investments of around USD 70 billion are already underway, along with announcements of an additional USD 90 billion in planned investments.
According to the government, the long-term policy framework for data centres up to 2047 is aimed at positioning India among the world’s leading destinations for AI computing, cloud infrastructure and digital services.
(Disclaimer: The above article is meant for informational purposes only, and should not be considered as any investment advice. ET NOW DIGITAL suggests its readers/audience to consult their financial advisors before making any money related decisions.)
