India Announces Tax Holiday Till 2047 for Global Cloud Providers:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has unveiled a landmark policy granting a tax holiday until 2047 for foreign companies offering cloud services globally through data centers located in India. The move underscores the government’s ambition to strengthen digital infrastructure and position India as a global hub for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and digital services.
A tax holiday exempts companies from certain taxes for a fixed period, encouraging investment in priority sectors and reducing initial project costs. To qualify, foreign cloud providers must serve Indian customers via an Indian reseller entity, ensuring domestic participation alongside international operations.
The Budget also introduced structural reforms in the IT sector. Software development, IT-enabled services, knowledge process outsourcing, and contract research and development will now be unified under a single category called “Information Technology Services.” A common safe harbor margin of 15.5 percent will apply across IT services, with the threshold for availing safe harbor provisions raised from ₹300 crore to ₹2,000 crore.
Additional measures include reducing the processing time for Advanced Pricing Agreements to two years, establishing a National Institute of Hospitality, and setting up NIMHANS-2. The long-term tax holiday signals India’s intent to attract global investment and accelerate its digital transformation journey.
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