NEW DELHI - India is likely to exempt foreign portfolio investors from an increase in taxes that was part of the budget approved by parliament but heavily criticised, a government official said on Thursday.

The budget provided for increased personal income taxes on those with annual income of more than 20 million rupees ($283,045).

The official, who declined to be named, said the government will either issue a notification or an executive order, which could be later submitted to parliament for approval, to exempt the foreign portfolio investors, mainly registered as trusts, from the increase in surcharge on super rich taxpayers

($1 = 70.6600 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Aftab Ahmed; Writing by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Richard Borsuk) ((manoj.kumar@thomsonreuters.com; +91 11 4954 8029; Reuters Messaging: manoj.kumar.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))