Web freaks need to be cautious as the Budget 2008-2009 has not been favourable for the software industry.

During his Budget proposals in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Finance Minister P Chidambaram proposed raising the excise duty on packaged software from 8 per cent to 12 per cent.

The finance minister took this step to bring packaged software on par with customised software.
Image: Schoolchildren use a laptop to browse a new self-assesment tool in Hyderabad.

The breakfast food like corn flakes, sharbat, coffee and tea pre-mixes and packaged tender coconut will cost less as the Budget for 2008-09 has either exempted or reduced excise duties on a number of processed food items.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram has totally exempted from excise duty packaged tender coconut water, paws, puffed rice, milk containing edible nuts and tea and coffee pre-mixes.

The duty has been halved to 8 per cent on muesli, corn flakes and sharbat. It has been done so even on the packaging material like open top sanitary (OTS) cans, aseptic packaging paper and aseptic bags.

Total exemption has also been given on specified refrigeration equipment for the installing of a cold storage, cold room or refrigerated vehicle, on end-use basis.

Image: Italian model Rosa Catalano (centre) poses amongst Indian staff at a western style food outlet in Bangalore.