Mr. Gaurav Dolwani, Founder and CEO, LICO Materials Pvt Ltd-
“The Union Budget 2026 clearly recognises the role of recycling and secondary materials in strengthening India’s battery supply chain. The full customs duty exemption on waste and scrap of lithium ion batteries and critical minerals directly addresses long standing challenges around feedstock availability and cost.
For recyclers, consistent access to raw material is what enables scale, investment, and better recovery outcomes. These measures improve the business case for domestic recycling and help bring recovered materials back into the manufacturing ecosystem in a reliable way.
By supporting domestic recycling capacity, the Budget supports the Make in India agenda by strengthening material security and enabling a more circular battery supply chain.”
Spokesperson: Mr. Sumit Arora, President - Apparel, Fabindia Ltd.
"The Union Budget 2026 presents a positive and purposeful roadmap for India's textile and apparel sector, with a strong focus on strengthening the artisan and craft ecosystem. At Fabindia, we see this as an important step towards building a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready value chain. The integrated measures announced such as the National Fibre Scheme, the Textile Expansion and Employment Scheme, and the National Handloom Programme will reinforce domestic manufacturing while enabling sustainable livelihoods. The emphasis on eco-conscious production, enhanced skilling through Samarth 2.0, and the development of mega textile parks will drive value addition, improve competitiveness, and ensure that artisans remain central to India's growth story and the Make in India vision."
Dr. Anish Shah, Group CEO & MD, Mahindra Group-
"We applaud the Government of India's Union Budget 2026 presented today by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. This Budget focuses on enhancing India's competitiveness in the world, takes meaningful steps towards atmanirbharta and enables a wider participation in the benefits of economic growth.
The emphasis on frontier and strategic manufacturing sectors, including the launch of enhanced schemes such as Biopharma Shakti and the Semiconductor Mission (ISM 2.0), reflects a clear commitment to building global-scale manufacturing capabilities. Strengthening domestic value chains and reducing critical import dependencies will be key to India's future industrial leadership.
We particularly welcome the significant increase in capital expenditure to ₹12.2 lakh crore for FY27, which underscores an unambiguous policy focus on infrastructure, regional development and job creation across the country. This will play a pivotal role in crowding in private investment, enhancing productivity and supporting the growth of tier-2 and tier-3 cities as emerging economic hubs.
The proposal to establish a dedicated ₹10,000 crore SME growth fund and incentives for industry clusters is a positive step toward enabling future job creation, supporting enterprise scaling, and boosting competitiveness of small and medium businesses.
Initiatives to promote critical minerals, rare earth corridors and enhanced electronics and capital goods manufacturing are forward-looking and essential for a resilient industrial ecosystem that can thrive amid global uncertainties.
And, most importantly, the emphasis on sabka saath, sabka vikaas is commendable. The actions to ensure every community has access to resources and opportunities will enable robust and sustainable economic growth.
Overall, Budget 2026 signals continuity in policy direction, a firm commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth, and efforts to unlock India's economic potential at scale. We believe these measures can accelerate innovation, enhance value-added manufacturing and strengthen India's standing in the world."
Mr. Amit Sharma, MD & CEO, Tata Consulting Engineers
The Union Budget 2026–27 sets a clear direction for India's long term growth, with a strong focus on capital investment, manufacturing competitiveness and technology led development. Continued high spending on infrastructure strengthens confidence in execution and supports progress across transportation, urban development and logistics. The emphasis on high speed rail, alongside roads, metros, ports and urban infrastructure, signals a move towards next generation connectivity. Policy continuity on clean energy and grid strengthening supports energy security and transition, while the focus on advanced facilities such as semiconductors, electronics, data centres and pharmaceuticals builds domestic capability. Measures supporting hydrocarbons and chemicals, and metals and mining including rare earth corridors, strengthen critical supply chains. Overall, the Budget underlines the importance of delivery quality alongside investment scale, and Tata Consulting Engineers remains committed to converting this policy intent into future ready assets for the nation.
Dr. Raj P Narayanam, Founder & Executive Chairman, Zaggle, on Technology & AI Focus in Union Budget 2026–27:
"The Union Budget 2026's strong focus on technology-led and AI-driven financial systems reinforces the role of digital innovation in making enterprise finance more efficient, transparent, and scalable. The push towards paperless, data-driven processes will accelerate the adoption of intelligent solutions across spend management, payments, and compliance. Simplified tax processes and eased compliance timelines further enhance ease of doing business, creating a predictable, tech-friendly environment that supports stronger financial control, governance, and operational efficiency for enterprises across India."
Surabhi Sanyukta, Sr. Vice President - Investments, BlackSoil-
The ₹20,000 crore, five-year CCUS outlay is a significant step towards tackling emissions from hard-to-abate sectors such as steel and cement. Its real impact will hinge on execution, such as clear eligibility norms, robust measurement and verification, and project structures that can scale beyond pilots, including ecological and nature-based solutions. As a lender with climate focus as one of the core strategic pillars, BlackSoil welcomes this move, which strengthens the signal for private capital and accelerates the scaling of proven climate startups to state-wide and national impact."
Senco Gold and Diamonds By- Suvankar Sen, MD and CEO
The Union Minister's emphasis on long term macroeconomic stability, infrastructure development, MSME growth, and the push toward technology and AI adoption, alongside support for skill development, women empowerment, research and development, and knowledge hubs, reflects thoughtful long range policy direction. This kind of structural planning strengthens consumer confidence and enhances productive capacity across sectors. Even in the absence of direct incentives for the gold industry, measures supporting exports, imports, global market integration and SEZ ecosystems point to a forward looking and self reliant economic vision.
We appreciate the government's long term thinking, particularly the continued thrust on inclusive growth. As infrastructure and income levels rise, consumption is expected to deepen significantly across tier 2, tier 3, tier 4 cities and smaller towns, which will be a key driver for organised retail and jewellery demand. For a company with a strong business focus and manufacturing base in eastern India, the emphasis on skilling and regional development is especially encouraging, as it will help expand the workforce and bring more professionally trained talent into the sector.
With gold and silver markets witnessing strong investment interest ahead of the Budget, the absence of specific sector measures also creates an opportunity for closer industry government collaboration on future frameworks that encourage innovation, value addition, and formalisation. Overall, this is a strategically oriented, long term Budget that supports sustainable and broad based economic growth.
Divine SolitairesBy - Jignesh Mehta, MD and Founder
"While the Finance Minister's long-term focus on infrastructure development, skill development, and AI/technology-enabled growth elevate the manufacturing ecosystem at a broader level, the absence of key announcements for the natural diamonds industry and the Gems & Jewellery sector was a disappointment.
We were expecting more targeted reforms, given India's position as one of the largest diamond manufacturing and processing hubs globally. While macro-level investments in skills, labour and technology are welcome, sector-specific policy support would have gone a long way in strengthening competitiveness, employment and long-term value creation for the industry."
Indian Association for Gold Excellence and Standards (IAGES)By - Mr. Kaushlendra Sinha CEO
"The Union Budget's focus on economic stability, formalisation, and structural strengthening provides a constructive backdrop for India's gold ecosystem. At a time of elevated gold and silver price volatility, the industry's commitment through IAGES to transparency, trust, governance, and recognised standards across the value chain is critical to sustaining consumer confidence and long-term resilience. As demand expands nationwide, including fast-growing markets beyond metros, aligning businesses with excellence and compliance benchmarks will help build a more credible, competitive, and globally respected gold industry."
Mr. Jayant Kumar, Managing Director and General Manager at Hilti India said, "Budget 2026 reinforces India's infrastructure-led growth with FY27 capital expenditure of ₹12.2 lakh crore and a strong push across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Investments in highways, metros, railways, airports, power, seven high-speed rail corridors and new National Waterways will significantly accelerate construction activity and project scale.
The proposed Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund, asset recycling through REITs, and the scheme to boost construction and infrastructure equipment (CIE) manufacturing will further scale up domestic production of advanced machinery and reinforce Make in India, strengthening financing as well as on-ground execution.
As project scale and complexity increase, the industry will need to build faster while raising the bar on how construction is delivered. Guided by our purpose of making construction better, Hilti India remains committed to being a long-term partner to the infrastructure ecosystem, supporting employment, allied industries and India's journey towards a developed economy."
Anil Agarwal, Chairman - Vedanta Ltd on the Union Budget 2026:
A growth-oriented Budget, with a clear focus on increasing public capital expenditure and boosting manufacturing.
It is a Budget which creates opportunities, for youth to improve their livelihoods, women to become financially independent and for employment-intensive sectors like medical tourism to take off.
I welcome the Government's keen attention to critical minerals and rare earths. The Rare Earths Corridors for mining, processing, R&D and manufacturing in Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Kerala will boost growth, employment and mineral security. Import duty exemption on capital goods for critical minerals processing is very timely in the current global scenario.
The announcement on flexibility in SEZs, which will permit some sales in domestic market is an excellent move.
I congratulate the PM and FM for continuing to steer the Indian economy with a very steady hand in uncertain times.
The Union Budget 2026 sends a strong and timely signal to India's EV and clean mobility ecosystem. The continuation of customs duty exemptions on capital goods and lithium-ion cell components, along with incentives for critical mineral processing, will significantly reduce manufacturing costs and strengthen domestic value chains. These measures will help accelerate scale, improve global competitiveness, and reinforce India's ambition to emerge as a self-reliant hub for advanced battery and EV manufacturing."
"From a startup and MSME perspective, the ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund and enhanced liquidity through TReDS and GeM integration will ease access to capital and enable young enterprises to focus on innovation and expansion. This will be particularly impactful in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets, where mobility and clean-energy solutions can drive both economic growth and employment. Overall, the Budget reflects a holistic approach towards sustainable industrial development and positions India firmly on the path to leadership in green mobility and entrepreneurship, said Mr. Ayush Lohia, CEO, YOUDHA".
Bindu Sharma, Creative Director & Founder, Mavitrra-
The Union Budget 2026 provides valuable support to women-led businesses and craft-based enterprises through its funding initiatives. The She MARTS program and self-help entrepreneur support through community-owned retail outlets both create meaningful connections with our mission at Mavitrra. The measures enable design-based jewellery brands to expand their locally made luxury products into broader markets. The budget supports brand development through manufacturing cluster expansion and sustainable business growth for women entrepreneurs. The Budget establishes that women-led creative enterprises will achieve growth through structured systems and visible presence and economic self-sufficiency while maintaining the authenticity of Indian craftsmanship."
A Vikram Joshe, founder of WAE Ltd-
"The Union Budget 2026–27 offers incremental calibration rather than structural relief for India's SME sector. The headline ₹10,000-crore SME Growth Fund marks a policy shift toward equity and scale-oriented financing, but its reach is inherently limited. It will benefit a narrow cohort of formal, growth-ready firms, while the vast majority of micro and small enterprises, still grappling with thin margins, volatile demand, and delayed payments, remain largely untouched.
Liquidity reforms around TReDS are directionally sound, yet experience suggests platforms alone cannot correct entrenched power asymmetries between large buyers and small suppliers. Without strict enforcement of payment discipline, working-capital stress will persist. Importantly, the budget underplays demand-side constraints, tax complexity, and compliance friction, factors that matter more than capital availability in the post-COVID landscape.
In essence, this is a selective growth budget, not a broad-based SME revival plan. It advances long-term formalisation, but does little to alter the immediate ground reality for most SMEs."
Yuvraj Bhardwaj, Co-founder and CEO, Petonic AI
"The Budget's strong focus on MSMEs is a timely step towards building a more resilient and future-ready business ecosystem. The Rs 10,000 crore growth fund and enhanced risk capital will encourage entrepreneurship and job creation, while reforms around TReDS, GeM integration, and credit guarantees will significantly ease liquidity challenges for small businesses. Equally important is the emphasis on affordable compliance support through trained "Corporate Mitras", especially for enterprises in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Together, these measures will help MSMEs adopt technology faster, operate with greater confidence, and scale sustainably."
Mr. Rajat Mahajan, Founder, RealChef-
"The government's decision to increase the outlay of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme to ₹40,000 crore reflects strong confidence in India's manufacturing potential. The fact that investment commitments have already exceeded targets shows that industry is ready to scale when the policy environment is stable and forward-looking.
Such momentum-driven policy support strengthens the overall manufacturing ecosystem, encouraging technology adoption, supply-chain localisation, and long-term capacity building. For Indian manufacturers, this sends a clear signal that the government is committed to creating a globally competitive, self-reliant manufacturing landscape."
Pushpamitra Das, Chairman & Managing Director, Justo RealFintech Ltd
"Union Budget 2026 essentially spells out a clear message this is a growth, oriented, future, ready Budget that offers close, to, the, heart support to the middle class, the infrastructure sector, and the real estate ecosystem. Besides, public capital expenditure hike to Rs 12.2 lakh crore, setting up of REITs of CPSE assets, and the Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund will together lead to a great upsurge in capital recycling and sectoral liquidity.
On the demand side, household balance sheets get a big boost from the three sources: zero tax on income up to Rs 12 lakh, higher home loan interest tax benefits under Section 24(b), and relief in respect of rental income. On the supply side, direct measures through urban growth initiatives, SWAMIH support, MSME, friendly steps, and City Economic Regions tackle separately issues of execution risk, funding stress, and lethargic inventory.
Furthermore, the rationalisation of TDS rates in favour of industry enhances cash flows of developers and allied MSME players. If the implementation is spot on, the Budget can act as a catalyst for housing demand, project completion, and confidence in the long run most notably in Tier II and Tier III real estate markets."
"As we work closely with the government to strengthen India's infrastructure and surface transportation, we see Budget 2026-27 as a truly transformative step for the sector. Infrastructure is the backbone of long-term growth, and initiatives to develop projects in tier-II and tier-III cities, as well as urban areas with populations above five lakh, will bring development to people's doorsteps. Upgraded roads, railways, and urban infrastructure will enhance connectivity, attract industries, and generate jobs, helping to reduce pressure on congested metros and support more balanced regional growth.
The focus on efficient project delivery, new infrastructure pipelines, and reviving stalled projects will energize the construction sector and the broader economy. The announcement of seven high-speed rail corridors, Mission Purvodaya in the eastern region, and measures like the Dedicated Freight Corridor, expanded national waterways, and coastal cargo schemes will not only make travel and logistics faster and safer but also unlock regional economic potential. Initiatives such as the Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund and dedicated REITs to monetize CPSE assets provide the confidence developers and investors need to take on ambitious projects. Together, these measures reflect a holistic vision for resilient, future-ready infrastructure, fostering sustainable urban development, supporting private investment, and laying a strong foundation for India's long-term economic growth" said by Mr. Sanjay Kumar Sinha, Founder & Managing Director, Chaitanya Projects Consultancy.
"Real estate remains central to India's Viksit Bharat vision, supporting employment generation, housing growth, and urban development. The Union Budget 2026 provides a decisive boost to the sector through its emphasis on infrastructure development in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, CPSE asset monetisation via REITs, and the introduction of the Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund, expected to be around ₹25,000 crore. By de-risking the construction phase, this initiative is likely to enhance private developer confidence. While a stronger push for affordable housing would have been encouraging, the budget outlines a clear path for sustainable urban expansion and reinforces long-term investor confidence and sentiment in the real estate sector." said Mr. Vikas Chaturvedi, Co-Founder & CEO, Xanadu Realty.
Rohit Mehrotra, Co-Founder, Organic Tattva:
The Union Budget's strong focus on agricultural reforms, farmer empowerment and high-yield crops signals a progressive shift toward a more resilient farm based economy. With initiatives like Bharat Vistar expanding market linkages, organic farming is also set to benefit through better reach, stronger value realization and growing support for sustainable practices that safeguard both soil health and farmer incomes.
These measures will encourage more farmers to adopt chemical-free and sustainable farming methods, reduce dependency on multi channels and improve long-term productivity. This approach is crucial for strengthening rural livelihoods and building a more secure and future-ready agricultural ecosystem for India.
Ms. Radhika Kalia, Managing Director at RLG Systems India Private Limited-
"Budget 2026 reflects the intention to treat waste as a resource. The proposed rare earth corridors in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, linked to the November 2025 rare earth permanent magnet scheme, will help build a domestic value chain, encompassing exploration, manufacturing and recycling, reducing India's dependence on China for magnets used in EVs, wind turbines and defence.
Alignment with the National Critical Minerals Mission (₹16,300 crore) and the ₹1,500 crore recycling incentive for financial years 2026–2031 reinforces recovery of rare earths and other strategic materials from e-waste and industrial scrap. Measures like high-tech tool rooms, expanded waterways, and freight corridors from Dankuni to Surat can strengthen manufacturing and lower logistics emissions.
These moves bring recycling closer to being industrial infrastructure. However, success will depend on scaling collection systems, advanced separation, and domestic refining so India's discarded products enable a clean-energy future."
Vinay Rustagi, CBO, Premier Energies-
"This is a forward looking budget with an eye on improving long-term energy security and domestic manufacturing industry competitiveness across different parts of the energy sector. Specifically for solar, the big increase in funds allocation for PM-Surya Ghar and KUSUM schemes to Rs. 27,000 crores would be a major help for domestic manufacturers. The government has listened to the industry and announced a provision to develop hi-tech tooling capability for precision equipment and capital goods, which will help to reduce reliance on other countries. Import duty waivers on equipment used for battery storage manufacturing and critical mineral processing are expected to reduce cost of domestically manufactured products. Other significant measures include substantial financial support for developing new technologies like carbon capture and nuclear."
Dr Dharminder Nagar,Co-Chair, FICCI Health and Services and MD, Paras Health
The Union Budget brings reassurance for patients and families at a time when healthcare costs are rising and lifestyle-related illnesses are becoming more common, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities where access to specialised care remains limited. The focus on strengthening the biopharma ecosystem is particularly timely, as conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders often require long-term and advanced treatment. By encouraging domestic manufacturing of biologics and biosimilars, the Budget supports better availability and affordability of these therapies, enabling hospitals to deliver advanced care closer to patients' homes.
Building on this, the Budget proposes exemption from basic customs duty on 17 lifesaving drugs and medicines, including key cancer therapies, and adds seven rare diseases for exemption on personal imports of drugs, medicines, and specialized foods. This move will provide tangible financial relief to families managing serious and chronic illnesses, especially in smaller cities where treatment often involves travel and additional expenses. By reducing the cost burden, patients can access care more consistently without compromising on quality.
In parallel, the plan to expand the allied health workforce over the coming years will strengthen hospitals' ability to provide comprehensive care. Improved access to trained professionals across diagnostics, critical care, and mental health services will help ensure consistent quality of care and better patient outcomes.
The proposal to develop regional medical tourism hubs in partnership with the private sector reflects a long-term vision for equitable healthcare development beyond metro cities. This initiative not only raises care standards but also broadens access to quality and affordable treatment for both domestic and international patients.
Together, these measures mark a significant step toward a healthcare system that is more accessible, affordable, and responsive to patient needs across regions, while providing meaningful relief to those battling cancer and rare diseases.
Arushi Jain, Director of Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
We see the Union Budget 2026 as a very encouraging step for the future of healthcare and biopharma in India. It creates the kind of stable, long-term ecosystem the industry needs to plan boldly and invest with confidence. With the Rs 10,000 crore Biopharma Shakti programme, stronger research, expanded clinical trial networks, and more robust regulatory systems, the budget clearly puts innovation and quality manufacturing at the heart of the national agenda. For Akums, this gives us the confidence to deepen our R&D pipeline, scale up world-class capabilities and bring advanced therapies to patients more quickly and affordably.
We also welcome the emphasis on traditional medicine with the proposal to set up three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda, alongside upgrades to AYUSH pharmacies and drug testing labs, which will strengthen certification standards and make Ayurveda more accessible across the country. When combined with wider clinical trial access beyond major cities, increased number of skilled allied health care professionals and patient-friendly measures like duty exemptions on critical and rare disease medicines, these steps help build a stronger, diversified and more resilient and integrated healthcare ecosystem. Over time, they can support stronger global partnerships, improve access and affordability for patients, and position India as a trusted global hub for integrated healthcare solutions.
Quotation by Govind Gaur, CEO, WanderOn
"Budget 2026 is a welcome move for the travel and tourism sector. By strategically mapping city economic regions around their inherent growth drivers and strengthening connectivity, India can unlock the immense travel potential of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
The announcement of seven high-speed railway corridors as 'Growth Connectors' is particularly significant, as it is expected to substantially reduce travel time and boost rail-based tourism. This will directly encourage experiential travel and strengthen the domestic tourism ecosystem.
Additionally, the development of five regional medical tourism hubs in partnership with the private sector further enhances India's positioning as a global medical tourism destination. Overall, the budget empowers domestic tourism, supports local economies, and drives experience-led travel across the country."
Quotation by Dr. Vikas Katoch, Founder & CEO, Adotrip
"The Union Budget 2026's focus on the Purvodaya states is a much-needed recognition of the Northeast's vast tourism potential. The development of five new tourism destinations, coupled with a strong push for Buddhist circuits across Assam, Manipur, and Tripura, can reposition the region as a key cultural and spiritual travel hub.
This initiative will not only boost tourism in the Northeast but also promote a circular economy, ensuring that consumer spending remains within the country and contributes positively to GDP growth.
Furthermore, the proposal to establish five regional medical tourism hubs strengthens India's standing in global tourism. With India already known for Ayurveda- and Yoga-based healing, these hubs will attract international travellers and enhance purpose-led and wellness tourism in the country."
Mr Prashant Mathur, CEO, Saatvik Green Energy-
"This Budget 2026 sends a strong and well-balanced signal for India's clean-energy manufacturing ecosystem and marks a major step forward for India's solar manufacturing story. By locking in long-term domestic demand through a record ₹12.21 lakh crore capital expenditure outlay and a nearly 29% increase for the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the government has created much-needed visibility for large-scale investments across the solar value chain. The extension of customs duty exemptions for lithium-ion cell manufacturing to battery energy storage systems directly strengthens both energy transition and energy security, while the exemption on critical inputs such as sodium antimonate for solar glass will improve cost competitiveness and accelerate domestic capacity creation in a strategically vital segment.
At the same time, rationalisation of customs exemptions and correction of duty inversions signal a shift from protection to performance supporting domestic manufacturing while enhancing export competitiveness. The continued focus on carbon capture technologies and long-term support for nuclear power underline a technology-agnostic approach to decarbonisation. For manufacturers like us, this clarity is a green light to scale to multi-GW capacities, invest in deep backward integration, and position India as a credible China+1 alternative and a globally competitive, export-ready clean-energy manufacturing hub."
Mr Devansh Jain, Chair, RE Committee , PHDCCI and Executive Director, INOXGFL Group-
We thank the Government of India led by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and Hon'ble Finance Minister Shrimati Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting the Union Budget. The Union Budget 2026–27 underscores the Government of India's sustained commitment to building a resilient, low-carbon energy system—an approach that closely aligns with INOXGFL Group's integrated clean energy strategy across renewables, manufacturing and infrastructure. The continued policy support for battery energy storage systems, including customs duty exemptions for lithium-ion cell manufacturing, along with duty relief for key solar manufacturing inputs, will play a critical role in strengthening grid stability and accelerating large-scale renewable integration. These measures are particularly relevant for developers and manufacturers working to build end-to-end domestic clean-energy value chains. The Budget's ₹20,000 crore allocation for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) further complements India's transition by offering a pragmatic decarbonisation pathway for energy-intensive industries, while preserving industrial competitiveness and energy security. Overall, the Budget reflects a balanced and forward-looking energy vision—one that combines clean energy deployment with infrastructure expansion, manufacturing depth and self-reliance. We commend the government for laying a strong and credible foundation to support India's long-term clean energy growth and industrial transformation.
Sumed Marwaha, Managing Director, AHEAD India
"The Union Budget 2026-27 rightly doubles down on India's strengths as a global digital engineering and services hub. Consolidating IT‑enabled services, KPO and contract R&D into a single information technology services category with a uniform 15.5% safe harbour margin and an enhanced ₹2,000 crore threshold brings the policy framework much closer to how large, integrated transformation programmes are actually delivered on the ground. This added clarity and predictability is critical for enterprises committing to multi‑year modernisation journeys across cloud, data and applications.
Equally important is the Budget's emphasis on cloud and data centre infrastructure from the long‑duration tax holiday until 2047 for foreign companies providing global cloud services from India‑based data centres to the 15% safe harbour on cost for related data centre entities. Together, these measures will catalyse fresh investment into high‑performance, secure, and scalable infrastructure, the foundation for cloud‑first, AI‑ready, and automation‑driven environments that modern enterprises now depend on.
For AHEAD, which helps organisations modernise core infrastructure, build custom AI‑ready platforms across cloud, core, and edge, and simplify operations through automation and observability, this Budget materially strengthens the surrounding ecosystem. It aligns policy, infrastructure, and talent towards a common objective, enabling enterprises to execute digital transformation with greater speed, reliability, and impact, while reinforcing India's position as a strategic, long‑term delivery base for global digital initiatives."
Prominent industry leader in the Healthcare sector.
Parth Amin, CEO & Co-Founder, Decode Age
"The Union Budget 2026-27 is a definitive signal that India is ready to lead the longevity revolution. For years, we have argued that the future of healthcare lies in targeting the biological roots of aging rather than just managing end-stage disease. With the launch of the Biopharma SHAKTI scheme, the government has provided the missing piece of the puzzle: a massive ₹10,000 crore commitment to the science of biologics and precision medicine.
This budget effectively ends the era of 'sick-care' and marks the beginning of a data-led, preventive era. By prioritizing advanced research infrastructure and clinical networks, the government is creating the exact ecosystem needed for companies like Decode Age to scale life-extending innovations. We are no longer just talking about longevity. We are building a future where every Indian can expect more years of peak health and productivity. The mandate is clear: it is time to shift the focus from merely surviving to truly thriving."
Prominent industry leader in the Logistics & SCM sector.
Dr Ashvini Jakhar, Founder and CEO of Prozo
"The Budget 2026–27 sends a strong signal that resilient, technology-led supply chains are central to India's growth strategy. The Government's continued emphasis on public capital expenditure, scaled up to ₹12.2 lakh crore, along with new Dedicated Freight Corridors, the operationalisation of 20 National Waterways, and a clear push for modal shift to greener logistics, will materially reduce friction and improve the speed and reliability of goods movement across the country.
By prioritising infrastructure development, domestic manufacturing, and MSME enablement, the Budget reinforces the link between efficient logistics networks and economic competitiveness. Measures such as the ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund, enhanced TReDS-based liquidity, and logistics-linked industrial corridors will help smaller enterprises integrate more effectively into domestic and global value chains.
For integrated supply chain platforms like Prozo, this Budget is an enabler for scalable, end-to-end logistics models combining warehousing, fulfilment, and data-driven visibility. As India accelerates its manufacturing and export ambitions, technology-enabled and transparent logistics infrastructure will be critical to ensure businesses of all sizes can compete efficiently in both domestic and global markets."
Ritz Malik, Founder - Ritz Media World-
"This year's Budget feels encouraging from a business sentiment point of view. When the broader economy shows intent to invest in growth and infrastructure, it usually creates a ripple effect across industries — including marketing and media. We're already seeing digital take a larger share of ad spends in India, and that shift will only get stronger as brands look for more measurable and targeted ways to reach consumers. For agencies and marketers, the opportunity now is to move beyond just visibility and focus on communication that truly connects with people in a fast-changing environment."
“We welcome the Union Budget and its clear emphasis on strengthening the cooperative backbone of India’s agricultural economy. Measures such as extending tax deductions to cattle feed supplied by primary cooperatives and rationalising inter-cooperative dividend taxation go beyond short-term relief and address structural challenges faced by dairy farmers. For the dairy sector, farm-level cost stability and financially resilient cooperatives are essential to ensuring consistent milk productivity, quality assurance and long-term supply security. As a dairy company built on deep farmer partnerships, we believe these reforms will encourage greater investment in productivity, animal nutrition and infrastructure at the grassroots level. A stronger cooperative ecosystem ultimately creates a more sustainable, transparent and future-ready dairy value chain-one that can support India’s growing demand for high-quality, value-added dairy products.”- D r. K. Rathnam, Whole-time Director and Chief Executive Officer, Milky Mist Dairy Food Limited.
Sameer Mathur, Md and Founder of Roinet Solution-
The Budget maintains continuity in strengthening India's digital public infrastructure, with recognition of platforms such as UPI that have significantly expanded access to financial services and supported the growth of the fintech ecosystem. At the same time, there is scope for greater clarity on the roadmap for fintech's next phase of evolution, particularly across lending, wealth creation and insurance, which are critical to advancing financial inclusion. Enhanced policy support for players building infrastructure to expand reach in smaller towns and underserved segments could further improve last-mile access. Greater emphasis on resource allocation towards education and MSME development would also contribute to long-term economic resilience. Improving access to affordable credit for MSMEs and easing operational complexities remain important priorities, especially as bank lending continues to be more skewed towards larger corporations. A more integrated policy approach could help fintech play a stronger role in enabling inclusive and sustainable growth.
“The Union Budget 2026’s strong focus on health and biopharma is a welcome step toward strengthening India’s healthcare ecosystem, especially at a time when the burden of non communicable diseases continues to rise. A sustained focus on prevention—through early screening, stronger primary care, and community-level interventions—will be critical to reducing long-term disease impact and improving health outcomes.
We also appreciate government’s emphasis on strengthening CDSCO and advancing a more predictable, science-led regulatory framework. Aligning regulatory processes with global standards—while expanding India’s clinical research capabilities —will help bring medical innovation to India faster, improve timely patient access to new therapies, and reinforce India’s position as a trusted global life-sciences hub.”- Winselow Tucker, President & General Manager, Eli Lilly and Company (India).
