The revenue department said the scheme will bring in a "paradigm shift" in taxation by eliminating human interface in the income tax assessment system.

The government will start consultations soon with Niti Aayog and Energy and Petroleum Ministries to bring down its equity holding below 51 per cent, including change of norms and modes of doing the stake dilution in very few select PSUs, to begin with.

Nirmala Sitharaman said that payments which are pending for services rendered, goods supplied or any other work done for government agencies and the Public Sector Undertakings to be cleared by October 15.

She indicated that economic slowdown seems to have bottomed out and the coming festive season will help the economy start looking up. The GDP growth in the first quarter of the current financial year slipped to an over six-year low of 5 per cent.  

Describing her meeting with the bankers as a "tonic", Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday that there is no liquidity related problems being faced by the private sector lenders and the non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).  

In the biggest reduction in 28 years, the government on Friday slashed corporate tax by almost 10 percentage points as it looked to pull the economy out of a six-year low growth and a 45-year high unemployment rate by reviving private investments with a Rs 1.45-lakh crore tax break.

India has become a highly competitive investment destination post corporate tax reduction as the rates are now lower than that in China and most Southeast Asian countries, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday.

Talking to reporters at the Indian Institute of Management in Lucknow, he said that the measure was a precious pre-Diwali gift to the sector from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.  

"Everything relating to the merger is going on smoothly. We don't foresee any challenges. Other banks have done it successfully and we can repeat that,said Sunil Mehta, the Managing Director and CEO of PNB.

"Like a bolt from the blue, the government (on Friday) announced a reduction in the corporate tax rate from close to 35 per cent to 25.17 per cent thereby fulfilling its key agenda of implementing the Direct tax Code (DTC). 

The government on Friday slashed the income tax rate for companies by almost 10 percentage points to 25.17 per cent and offered a lower rate to 17.01 per cent for new manufacturing firms to boost economic growth rate from a six-year low by incentivising investments to help create jobs.

The Goods and Services Tax Council chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday took an in-principle decision to link Aadhaar with registration of taxpayers under the GST and examine the possibility of making Aadhaar mandatory for claiming refunds.

Friday proved to be a big day for India Inc. After a slew of tax concessions including reduction in corporate tax from 30 per cent to 22 per cent, the GST Council has lowered tax on a number of goods and services to spur demand.

The all-powerful GST Council on Friday more than doubled the tax on caffeinated beverages to 40 per cent and slashed the rate on hotel room tariffs. Briefing reporters after a meeting of the panel, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the GST on caffeinated beverages has been hiked to 28 per cent plus an additional cess of 12 per cent as against the current rate of 18 per cent.

While the protesters were marching towards Sitharaman's residence at Safdarjung Road, they were stopped by the police.  

The comments came after the government slashed the tax rate for companies by almost 10 percentage points to 25.17 per cent and offered a lower rate of 17.01 per cent for new manufacturing firms in a bid to bolster economic growth rate from a six-year low by incentivising investments to help create jobs.

The announcements in the last few weeks clearly demonstrate that the government is leaving no stone unturned to make India a better place to do business, improve opportunities for all sections of society and increase prosperity to make India a USD 5 trillion economy, he said on Twitter "The step to cut corporate tax is historic.

Wadhera welcomed the bold announcements including the reduction of the corporate tax rate to 22 per cent and no minimum Alternate Tax for companies not availing incentives under the Income Tax Act.

"A headline-itis afflicted, panic-stricken Modi Sarkar has cut corporate tax rates less than 3 months after a Budget and 4 months before the next one. This is welcome but it is doubtful whether investment will revive. This does nothing to dispel fear that pervades in India Inc'," he said on Twitter.  

The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had addressed a press conference in Panaji, Goa. The Finance Minister and several State Finance Ministers have gathered in Panaji to take part in the Goods and Services Tax Council Meet.