Promise to curb black money, major push on infrastructure, capital market reforms and huge subsidy cut were among the other proposals listed by Pranab Mukherjee in the Union Budget for 2012-13.

The revision in tax slabs will give some direct tax relief to individuals, even as eating out, buying luxury cars, air travel, availing some professional services and investing in gold jewellery will become costlier.

Presenting his 7th budget in the Lok Sabha on Friday, the finance minister said the exemption limit for personal income tax was being enhanced from Rs 1,80,000 to Rs 2,00,000, even as the limit for peak rate was being raised to Rs 10,00,000 from Rs 8,00,000.

"This will provide tax relief of Rs 2,000 to every tax payer," the finance minister said, adding: "My proposal on direct taxes will result in a revenue loss of Rs 4,500 crore."

He also announced new tax slabs under which income up to Rs 2,00,000 would be totally exempt, levy 10 percent for Rs 2,00,000 to Rs 5,00,000, then 20 percent for Rs 5,00,000 to Rs 10,00,000 and 30 percent for income above Rs 10,00,000.

For the corporate sector, he said, while the tax rates were remaining unchanged, he assured cheaper access to funds for expansion, even as he tinkered with the excise rates and customs duties for specific items.

He proposed to raise the service tax rate to 12 percent from the present 10 percent.

In the speech, which started at 11 am and lasted 110 minutes, Mukherjee listed a slew of proposals that ranged from social welfare schemes and incentivising industry to fiscal consolidation and sector-specific reforms.

Assuring further liberalisation of capital markets, he announced a new equity savings scheme to extend income tax deduction of 50 percent to those who invest up to Rs 50,000 in equities and whose annual income is less than Rs 10 lakh.