By: Divya Kumar Gulati, Chairman of CLFMA India
"The Union Budget 2026–27 is expected to play an important role in shaping the next phase of growth for India's livestock sector. As the country strengthens its presence in global markets for buffalo meat and seafood, the industry is hoping to see a stronger focus on export support. This includes easier access to international markets, practical quality and certification systems aligned with global standards, and branding support for high-value markets such as the US, EU and ASEAN. Export-linked incentives, freight support and government-backed market development initiatives could go a long way in improving price realisation for farmers and producer cooperatives.
To sustain this export push, continued support under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana remains essential. Higher allocations for hatcheries, seed production, technology-driven farming and climate-resilient aquaculture would help scale operations while maintaining quality and supply stability.
Cost pressures also remain a key concern. Building on the reduction in Basic Customs Duty on key aquaculture inputs in the previous Budget, the industry is expecting further duty relief on pond and hatchery equipment, quality feed inputs, and cold-chain and processing infrastructure, along with better GST rationalisation. These steps would help lower production costs and strengthen the sector's long-term competitiveness."
Vikram Agarwal, Managing Director, Cornitos-
As India seeks to strengthen its preventive healthcare framework, the challenge today is not intent, but outcomes. While over 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been operationalised to expand preventive and primary care, government reviews point to uneven capacity, particularly in diagnostics and continuity of care. This is especially significant as lifestyle- and age-related diseases now account for the largest share of India's disease burden, yet public health spending remains below the 2.5% of GDP target.
Bridging this gap requires moving beyond new announcements to a formal review of existing programmes. A performance report tabled with the Budget should track allocations, actual disbursements and preventive outcomes. Equally important, the nutraceutical industry has also been included in the Production Linked Incentive scheme to give a push to local production. But to give this scheme a fillip and real impact on the industry, the Budget must support this industry by providing a proper regulatory framework and clinical validation related to preventive healthcare initiatives.
While this scheme was a necessary manufacturing intervention, prevention cannot be built on supply alone. To deliver real public health value, the Budget must now embed nutraceuticals within an outcomes framework linking future PLI support to independent clinical validation and real-world evidence, backed by a dedicated evidence fund, so that only quality-assured, science-backed products are aligned with preventive healthcare initiatives."
- Quote by Mr. Sanjaya Mariwala, Executive Chairman and Managing Director of OmniActive Health Technologies Ltd.
Mr. Aniruddha Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director, Umiya Buildcon Ltd "The Union Budget 2026 is a key opportunity to strengthen India's real estate sector, particularly as urban housing demand continues to rise, with double-digit price growth observed in major cities over the past year. For developers, policy measures that enhance housing affordability, reduce financing costs, and incentivize sustainable development will be critical to sustaining growth and meeting rising demand.
Increasing tax benefits on housing loans under Section 24(b) could ease financial pressure on homebuyers, while enhancing incentives under Section 80-IBA for affordable housing projects would encourage developers to expand inclusive housing supply, addressing a nationwide shortfall of several million units.
With interest rates stabilising and urban housing demand remaining robust, a well-balanced budget that supports both buyers and developers can unlock investment, boost employment, and contribute meaningfully to India's infrastructure and economic goals in 2026."
- Group Captain C.S. Krishnadas (Retd), Chief Executive Officer, Umiya Buildcon Ltd "As India prepares for the Union Budget 2026, the telecom sector stands at a transformative juncture, driving the country's digital economy with a subscriber base of around 1.2 billion.
The sector is entering the 'Intelligence Era,' where networks are evolving from passive infrastructure into AI-native, self-healing, and secure ecosystems. Innovations in routing, switching, and data center networking, such as 400G/800G architectures, AI-optimised NPUs, lossless Ethernet, and co-packaged optics are enabling ultra-low latency, high-performance AI and cloud workloads.
While investments in network expansion and emerging technologies are creating new opportunities, targeted policy support in the upcoming budget could further catalyse growth. Strengthening production-linked incentives for indigenous design-led manufacturing, enhancing capex support for next-generation infrastructure, and promoting trusted domestic networking products will boost India's self-reliance and global competitiveness.
With industry revenues projected to grow and operators increasingly focusing on data-led services and future-ready networks, a forward-looking budget that balances investment incentives with digital inclusion goals will accelerate India's journey to a resilient, sovereign, and globally competitive telecom ecosystem in 2026."
As India continues to prioritise digital and physical infrastructure, the upcoming Budget is expected to play a key role in supporting telecom expansion, domestic manufacturing, and long-term infrastructure investments.
