Attributing to Mr. Sandeep Kumar Jain, Managing Director, CDK Global-
A stable, innovation-friendly tax regime, stronger support for AI, cloud infrastructure and data centers, and clarity on R&D incentives will enable global firms like ours to deepen engineering, product development, and shared-services capabilities from India. This is especially critical as we scale talent pools in tier-2 cities and invest in cutting-edge areas like generative AI, cybersecurity, and automotive tech. Incentives for IP creation, transfer-pricing certainty and export promotion for digital services would further strengthen India's position as the world's engineering and innovation back-office.
Widening the tax base and using technology to strengthen compliance would be critical to lower the burden on the already compliant.
Tax administration would benefit from simplification, with fewer filings, less overlap, and faster closures. Moving to a single tax regime by phasing out the old structure would reduce complexity and administrative effort.
For corporates, greater certainty on transfer pricing, faster dispute resolution, stable indirect tax policies, and incentives linked to IP creation and high-value exports would further strengthen India’s position as a preferred global business destination.
Ultimately, these measures will create high-quality jobs, boost skill development, and position Indian GCCs as true global innovation engines. We are optimistic that Budget 2026 will deliver the policy clarity and fiscal support needed to accelerate this transformation.
Pre-Budget Quote by Mr Suvankar Sen, MD & CEO, Senco Gold Ltd
"Despite volatility in gold and silver prices, consumer demand in India has remained resilient, though more carefully budgeted, reaffirming gold jewellery's enduring significance as a symbol of heritage and long-term wealth creation. With gold prices expected to remain elevated, the industry looks forward to policy measures that further enhance affordability and support demand stability.
In this context, initiatives such as regulated small-ticket EMI options for gold jewellery and a review of the current 3% GST structure could meaningfully ease consumer burden and encourage higher participation in the formal market.
We are also witnessing growing traction in old gold exchange, which now accounts for nearly 45% of transactions. Given India's household gold holdings of close to 24,000 tonnes, continued policy focus on innovative mechanisms to mobilise physical gold can help unlock significant long-term value for the economy.
Additionally, steps that strengthen competitiveness, including a review of the current 6% import duty, along with focused vocational training for karigars, greater adoption of technology, and appropriate flexibility for SEZ units to serve domestic demand, would further reinforce the organised jewellery sector's contribution to employment, consumption and exports."
Dipesh Kaura, Country Director- India & SAARC, Securonix
Cyber-attacks on India's private and public critical infrastructure, making headlines reveals vulnerabilities in it that could cripple the country's economy and emphasize the need for cybersecurity awareness. A system that provides regular updates and audits to ensure government institutions have implemented effective cybersecurity measures should be in place by leveraging cloud-based solutions that deliver measurable outcomes. The government should allocate significant funds to creating awareness and development of AI-driven skills and innovation in the cybersecurity domain, ensuring a future-ready workforce. Incentivizing AI-native security products for their adoption across sectors is key to establishing a cyber-resilient digital India.
Mr. Sudhir Pai, CEO, Magicbricks
"As we look toward Budget 2026, the real estate sector expects a blueprint that recognises the ongoing structural premiumisation of housing while reigniting the affordable segment. Magicbricks data indicates a clear market shift where supply has begun to rise steadily across key cities, even as demand remains stable and increasingly value-driven. While housing sentiment has rebounded, high entry costs continue to limit participation from a large pool of middle-income buyers.
Revising the affordable housing price cap in metros to ₹65 lakh and doubling the home loan interest deduction under Section 24(b) to ₹5 lakh would help convert this stable demand into active transactions. At the same time, policy clarity that supports timely supply—through easier project execution and cost rationalisation—will be essential to prevent demand-supply mismatches. A balanced approach that aligns growing supply with genuine end-user demand will ensure sustainable momentum and reinforce real estate as a long-term, trusted asset class."
Commenting on expectations from the upcoming Union Budget 2026, Kishan Karunakaran, CEO & Co-founder, Buyofuel, said:
"India has taken the right policy direction on CBG and ethanol blending, and last year's Budget rightly signalled a shift towards strengthening agri-logistics, decentralized supply chains, and MSME credit. As we head into this Budget, what's needed is sharper, targeted support for feedstock aggregation—through equipment financing, decentralized logistics, and incentives for farmer-linked entrepreneurs. This is where real capacity gets built, and where private platforms can play a catalytic role in translating policy intent into reliable execution."
Mr. Sandip Weling, Whole-time Director and Chief Business Officer – Global Retail, Aptech Limited-
"The Government's focus on India's AVGC- XR sectors and Creator's economy reflects a clear recognition of talent, training & upskilling as strategic growth drivers in India's journey towards Viksit Bharat. Policy initiatives aimed at strengthening skilling, infrastructure, and ecosystem development should create meaningful pathways for youth to participate in high-value creative and technology-led careers.
Over the last 4 decades, our training brands at Aptech are deeply engaged in creative education . During this time, we have witnessed growing interest to pursue creative careers and industry alignment across animation, VFX, gaming, digital content creation, beauty & wellness and other creative sectors that are fast becoming pillars of a Viksit Bharat. These industries combine creativity with advanced technology, enabling scalable employment, entrepreneurship, and global competitiveness.
We believe that long-term impact is driven by industry-aligned curriculum, continuous evolution with technology, public-private-community collaborations, and a strong focus on employability. To sustain and drive this momentum, continued policy support for vocational and industry-aligned education, sustained industry-academia collaborative platforms, and targeted incentives for homegrown talent and startups will be crucial. Such targeted measures can accelerate job creation and innovation, reinforcing India's position as a global hub for creative excellence., aligned with the Honourable Prime Minister's vision of inclusive growth and long-term national progress."
Pre-Budget Expectations Quote from HCG Manavata Cancer Centre
“As we approach the Union Budget 2026–27, healthcare, especially cancer care, must be viewed as a long-term national investment rather than a cost. India is witnessing a steady rise in cancer incidence and addressing this requires a strong focus on early detection, affordability and decentralised access to quality care. Also, the Government’s recent steps to rationalise GST on life saving drugs, medical equipment and devices have been encouraging, and we hope this momentum continues. Further reduction in duties on advanced technologies such as robotic surgery systems, AI-driven diagnostics and precision oncology tools will help bring world-class treatment within reach of patients beyond metro cities. However, equally important is strengthening the ecosystem with timely reimbursements under Government health schemes, investment in trained manpower and support for hub-and-spoke cancer care models that link district centres with specialised institutions. Cancer care is multidisciplinary by nature and cannot be scaled through infrastructure alone. A forward-looking Budget that supports innovation; be it robotic-assisted surgery, AI-enabled imaging, cell and gene therapies or indigenous diagnostics, while ensuring affordability for patients, will go a long way in transforming India’s cancer care landscape and improving outcomes for millions.
- Prof Dr Raj Nagarkar, Chief of Surgical Oncology & Robotic Services and Managing Director - KIMS Manavata Hospitals, HCG Manavata Cancer Centre and Six Sigma, Nashik.
Ankur Bansal, Managing Director, BlackSoil-
"The upcoming Budget must recognise that India's funding needs have evolved beyond a pure equity-led model. What the ecosystem now needs is policy support for blended capital, where venture debt and alternative credit work alongside equity. The focus should be on execution over announcements, with frameworks that enable cash-flow-aligned, sector-specific credit and stronger risk-sharing, so MSMEs and growth-stage startups can access flexible, non-dilutive capital that supports sustainable scale."
Mr Tony Vincent, Chairman, Aratt Developers and Ayatana Hospitalities-
"The real estate sector is watching this Budget closely, especially on the tax and GST side. For affordable and low-income housing, GST is already at a lower rate, which has helped. However, for other under-construction residential projects, the issue is the lack of input tax credit, which pushes up costs. Allowing some form of input tax credit or reworking the GST structure would help reduce prices and improve transparency.
On direct taxes, capital gains on real estate need a relook. A shorter holding period and more reasonable tax rates would make it easier for people to upgrade homes and reinvest. Bringing back indexation benefits would also help long-term investors manage inflation.
Increasing tax deductions for homebuyers on housing loan interest and principal repayment would directly support end-user demand. Overall, clearer tax rules and practical GST changes can help the real estate sector grow in a steady and sustainable way."
Saurabh Vohara, Founder & CEO, ALYF
"As the Union Budget 2026 approaches, there is a timely opportunity to build on recent fiscal measures and further strengthen the housing ecosystem, particularly beyond India's primary metros. Affordability continues to be a decisive factor for homebuyers, and the last Budget's move to allow tax exemption on notional rental income for up to two self-occupied homes has significantly eased the tax burden for homeowners, particularly those holding a second home. This change has improved ownership viability for lifestyle-led and multi-city living buyers, especially in emerging residential markets.
Further targeted incentives, such as enhanced deductions on home loan interest, higher caps under Sections 24(b) and 80C, and focused support for mid-income segments, could materially lower effective EMIs and widen the buyer base, particularly in the ₹40–80 lakh bracket where post-tax considerations strongly influence purchase decisions.
From a housing finance perspective, simplifying loan processes, promoting longer tenures, and leveraging digital credit frameworks to accelerate approvals would help first-time and second-home buyers navigate the cost structures more efficiently. Policy reforms that enable no-cost portability, dynamic income indexing for subsidies, and streamlined documentation can further lower borrowing costs and increase market participation at the mid-tier level.
Furthermore, sustained investment in connectivity and infrastructure has the potential to gradually elevate emerging residential markets into more viable ownership destinations. In recent years, improvements in regional road networks, transit linkages and last-mile connectivity have begun to ease the distance between large urban centres and their surrounding growth corridors, making these locations more accessible and practical for homeowners. A continued policy focus on tier-2 and tier-3 infrastructure, spanning highways, regional mobility networks and supporting urban amenities, can help decentralise housing demand, strengthen local economies and reduce the friction traditionally associated with owning homes outside city cores, particularly for buyers seeking lifestyle-led or second-home investments.
In sum, the 2026 Budget can catalyse a more inclusive housing ecosystem by marrying targeted tax reforms with strategic infrastructure spend, helping drive sustainable demand in emerging real estate markets."
Sanjay Lodha, CMD of Netweb Technologies, on the pre budget expectations 2026.
India stands at a critical inflection point in its digital journey. The Government has clearly identified Artificial Intelligence (AI) and high-end computing as strategic growth engines, and the Hon'ble Prime Minister's sustained focus on AI reflects a rare and timely opportunity window for the country.
As India moves from AI readiness to AI adoption, consumption of AI will become the real multiplier of growth. When Indian enterprises consume AI at scale, they create globally relevant use cases, products, and operational efficiencies that can be exported to the world strengthening India's competitiveness across sectors.
Ahead of the Union Budget 2026–27, we believe the focus should be on accelerating AI adoption through sovereign, secure, and Made-in-India compute infrastructure. Our key recommendations are as follows:
1. Enable AI Adoption Through Sovereign, Data-Localised Compute
We recommend targeted fiscal support for indigenous, data-localised GPU clusters, ensuring that India's data, models, and intellectual property remain onshore. This is particularly critical for regulated sectors and emerging AI-native enterprises that require trust, auditability, and compliance by design.
2. National Compute Credit for MSMEs & Startups
Recommendation: Create a "National Compute Credit" pool. MSMEs and startups receive digital compute vouchers that can be redeemed only on India-hosted, Make-in-India certified AI and HPC infrastructure. This lowers entry barriers and stimulates AI experimentation while strengthening domestic demand.
3. Incentivise Private Sector Adoption of Make-in-India AI Infrastructure
Recommendation: Introduce a 150% weighted tax deduction on expenditure incurred by private enterprises for deploying Make-in-India AI infrastructure for internal R&D, automation, and AI-driven operational efficiency.
4. GST Rationalisation for High-End AI Compute
Expectation: Reduce GST from 18% to 12% on AI servers, GPU-based systems, and advanced cooling technologies including liquid cooling. A 6% differential can be the deciding factor between project execution and postponement.
5. Green AI & Thermal Engineering Support
Expectation: Launch a "Green Compute Fund" to provide Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for data centres and AI clusters adopting advanced thermal management and energy-efficient designs.
Summary Statement
As India enters a decisive phase of AI adoption, the Union Budget 2026–27 has the opportunity to position AI compute as core national infrastructure. Targeted incentives for sovereign, Make-in-India AI and private cloud platforms combined with support for MSMEs, green compute, and domestic manufacturing can unlock widespread AI consumption while ensuring secure and globally competitive growth.
