Budget 2026-27 Highlights: FM Sitharaman boosts manufacturing across sectors

Budget 2026-27 Highlights: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth straight Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on Sunday. Catch updates here

8:45 PM

FM Sitharaman boosts manufacturing across sectors

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday outlined a manufacturing-led growth strategy in the Union Budget 2026–27, with targeted support for semiconductors, rare-earth processing, biopharma and strategic industries, signalling a push to strengthen domestic capacity and reduce import dependence.

8:21 PM

Opposition flags lack of poll-state sops in Budget 2026–27

The Union Budget 2026–27 did not announce major state-specific packages for regions heading to polls this year, including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stating that adequate provisions had been made for all states.

 

Opposition parties, particularly those in power in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala, criticised the Budget, arguing that it offered little for their states. They said the government chose to prioritise fiscal discipline over populist spending despite elections due in four states and one Union territory in the coming months.

(With inputs from PTI)

8:19 PM

Budget 2026–27 cuts NATGRID allocation by over 27%

The Union Budget 2026–27 has reduced funding for the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) by more than 27 per cent, trimming allocations for the internal security data-sharing platform under the Police head of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

 

NATGRID has been allotted ₹108.98 crore for FY27, down by ₹40.54 crore from the revised estimate of ₹149.52 crore in 2025–26. According to the Budget documents, the allocation is meant for the National Intelligence Grid, which links databases across security and intelligence agencies to enhance capabilities for combating terrorism and addressing internal security threats.

8:05 PM

Budget 2026–27 hikes Intelligence Bureau allocation by 63%, capex jumps ninefold

The Intelligence Bureau received ₹6,782.43 crore in the Union Budget 2026–27, reflecting a steep increase of about 63 per cent over the revised estimates of the previous year. Capital expenditure for the IB saw a ninefold jump to ₹2,549.54 crore, indicating significant investments to enhance its operational and intelligence-gathering capabilities. According to the Budget documents, the allocation is aimed at meeting administrative and operational expenses linked to internal security and threat assessment.

(With inputs from PTI)

7:57 PM

Budget 2026 credit push strengthens MSME, startup financing: Stashfin co-founder

The Union Budget 2026–27’s focus on expanding access to credit and strengthening MSME lending will help build a more predictable and inclusive financial ecosystem, Shruti Aggarwal, co-founder of Stashfin, said. 

 

“Union Budget 2026–27 highlights a strategic approach to fostering entrepreneurship and supporting the growth of MSMEs by improving access to formal credit and financial resources,” Aggarwal said, adding that streamlined financing channels, better liquidity and deeper digital integration will enable entrepreneurs and young professionals to plan, scale and participate more confidently in the economy.

7:56 PM

Budget 2026–27 allocates ₹2.55 trillion to Ministry of Home Affairs

The Union Budget 2026–27 allocated over ₹2.55 trillion to the Ministry of Home Affairs, marking an increase of about 9.4 per cent from the ₹2.33 trillion provided in 2025–26. Of this, nearly ₹1.73 trillion —around 68 per cent—has been earmarked under the ‘Police’ head, covering funding for central armed police forces, border development programmes, and police forces in Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. Capital expenditure under the Police head rose sharply to ₹21,272.47 crore, signalling a renewed focus on modernisation and infrastructure for security forces.

 

(With inputs from PTI)

7:46 PM

Budget 2026–27 strengthens export ecosystem through systemic reforms: Commerce Secy

The Union Budget for 2026–27 introduces a range of measures that offer strong systemic support to India’s export ecosystem, with an emphasis on manufacturing and trade facilitation, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Sunday.

 

Agrawal said the Budget addresses the needs of both labour-intensive and high-technology sectors, while its focus on logistics and trade facilitation is expected to reduce compliance burdens and improve India’s share in global trade. “It is an excellent Budget that provides strong systemic support to the trade ecosystem by focusing on manufacturing, trade facilitation and new areas,” he said, adding that the measures will also aid trade diversification.

7:42 PM

Budget’s turtle trail push raises hopes for Odisha research centre: Wildlife activists

Wildlife activists on Sunday said they hope the proposed sea turtle research centre in Odisha’s Ganjam district will move forward faster after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman referred to “turtle trails” near key nesting sites in her Budget speech, news agency PTI reported. 

 

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said turtle trails would be developed around major nesting areas in Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala to promote wildlife tourism alongside environmental conservation. The nature-based tourism initiative announced in the Budget will prioritise eco-friendly tourism infrastructure, he said.

7:40 PM

Budget aims to establish stable regulatory environment, enable cos to focus on growth: ICAI

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on Sunday said the proposals outlined in the Union Budget 2026–27 are aimed at creating a predictable regulatory framework that allows businesses to focus on innovation and expansion.

 

ICAI President Charanjot Singh Nanda said the Budget proposals are aligned with the broader objectives of the Income Tax Act, 2025. “By bringing greater clarity and transparency to the law, these measures seek to provide a stable regulatory environment that enables enterprises to concentrate on innovation and growth, thereby strengthening the ease of doing business,” he said in a statement.

7:32 PM

Budget 2026 backs science-led Ayurveda, global scale-up: Nat Habit CEO

The Union Budget 2026 signals a clear intent to position Ayurveda and AYUSH as scalable, science-backed contributors to India’s beauty and wellness economy, Swagatika Das, chief executive officer and co-founder at Nat Habit, said.

 

“The creation of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda strengthens the research, standardisation, and clinical validation framework the sector needs to build global credibility,” Das said, adding that the push on exports and inclusion-led initiatives such as She MARTS will support a future-ready, globally competitive Ayurveda beauty ecosystem.

7:29 PM

Budget measures to deepen insurance penetration over time: IndusInd GI

Rakesh Jain, chief executive officer at IndusInd General Insurance, said Budget 2026–27 lays the groundwork for long-term growth in the general insurance sector at a time of global volatility, geopolitical tensions and supply-chain disruptions. Calling the Budget “forward-looking and reassuring”, Jain said the Finance Minister’s emphasis on accelerating growth in new-age sectors while strengthening economic resilience reflects a clear understanding of India’s current needs.

 

“For the general insurance sector, several parts of this Budget create strong tailwinds,” Jain said, pointing to MSME-focused measures such as the ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund, additional support to the Self-Reliant India Fund and the strengthening of the TReDS ecosystem

7:20 PM

Budget 2026 targets MSME gaps, focuses on scale and discipline: JSW One

Union Budget 2026-27 adopts a structured approach to strengthening MSMEs by addressing gaps in equity, liquidity and capability, Gaurav Sachdeva, joint managing director and chief executive officer at JSW One Platforms Ltd, said. 

 

“This is less about short-term stimulus and more about building systems that allow manufacturing and construction MSMEs to scale with discipline,” Sachdeva said, citing measures such as the SME Growth Fund, stronger invoice-based financing through TReDS and professional support via Corporate Mitras.

7:19 PM

Budget 2026 boosts infra, manufacturing push, says JCB India CEO

Budget 2026 charts a transformative course for India’s manufacturing and infrastructure ambitions, with a strong push for domestic capabilities and global competitiveness, Deepak Shetty, managing director and chief executive officer at JCB India, said. “The focus on scaling up manufacturing across seven strategic sectors and promoting champion MSMEs is a decisive step toward strengthening India’s domestic capabilities,” Shetty said, adding that measures supporting high-value construction equipment and infrastructure, including high-speed rail corridors, will drive innovation, productivity and long-term investment.

7:16 PM

Creative, digital skills get early push in Budget 2026: Birla Open Minds

Nirvaan Birla, Managing Director, Birla Open Minds Education Ltd, said the Budget signals a forward-looking approach to creativity and digital skills.

 

“By identifying Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) as a growth driver and introducing content creator labs in schools and colleges, the focus shifts to nurturing creativity and digital thinking at an early stage,” Birla said. He added that the move towards developing original intellectual property marks an important shift. “When students create stories, design worlds, and build games, they are shaping ideas that prepare them for leadership in an economy driven by technology, creativity, and homegrown IP,” he said.

7:14 PM

Budget 2026 stays the course on infra, manufacturing, fiscal discipline: Nuvama Wealth

Budget 2026 reinforces the government’s infrastructure-led growth and manufacturing push while maintaining fiscal prudence, Rahul Jain, president and head at Nuvama Wealth, said, calling it “largely a continuation of existing policies” amid a challenging global backdrop. He said the decision to keep STCG and LTCG unchanged removes investor uncertainty, while aligning buyback taxation with capital gains is “a welcome, investor-friendly move,” adding that the higher capex outlay of ₹12.2 lakh crore and contained borrowing underscore the medium-term debt-reduction path.

7:12 PM

Capex push lifts infra momentum, execution remains key: Vector Consulting

The government’s proposal to raise capital expenditure on infrastructure to ₹12.2 trillion in 2026–27 reinforces its growth strategy, but execution will remain the real test, Anantha Keerthi, senior partner at Vector Consulting Group, said. “Higher allocations alone do not automatically resolve cost and schedule overruns,” Keerthi said, adding that the increased outlay must translate into stronger upfront project design and more robust Detailed Project Reports to curb persistent cost and time overruns in large infrastructure projects.

7:11 PM

Budget relief on cancer drugs strengthens access and innovation: Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital

The Union Budget 2026–27 offers timely relief for cancer patients by exempting customs duty on 17 cancer medicines while reinforcing the future of oncology care, D.S. Negi, chief executive officer at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre (RGCIRC), said. “The focused investment of ₹10,000 crore over the next five years under the Biopharma SHAKTI scheme has the potential to accelerate innovation in biologics and targeted therapies,” Negi said, adding that the measures strengthen India’s commitment to affordable, advanced and research-driven cancer care.

7:09 PM

Budget gives creative economy confidence to scale globally: Shemaroo COO

Arghya Chakravarty, Chief Operating Officer, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd, said the Budget marks a shift for India’s creative economy.

 

“This Budget recognises storytelling, digital content, and cultural expression as drivers of growth. With young creators supported from school onwards, India is positioned to build a future where it produces content for domestic audiences while also setting global benchmarks,” Chakravarty said. He added that the policy direction provides the industry with confidence to invest in talent with global potential.

7:06 PM

Budget supports infra-led growth, STT hike weighs on markets: Mirae Asset

Somil Mehta, Head of Retail Research at Mirae Asset Sharekhan, said the Union Budget supports infrastructure- and manufacturing-led growth but presents near-term challenges for markets.

 

“The Budget is supportive of infrastructure, manufacturing, and digital-led themes. However, the absence of capital gains tax relief and the increase in the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) create near-term headwinds for the broader market,” Mehta said. He advised investors to remain selective, focus on sectors with policy visibility, and avoid aggressive short-term positioning.

 

“Markets were expecting relief on long-term and short-term capital gains taxation, but no proposals were announced, which may result in continued FII selling. Adding to the pressure, the hike in STT on futures and options acts as a broad-based negative for market sentiment,” he said.

7:03 PM

Budget 2026 strengthens farm productivity, fertiliser resilience: FAI

The Fertiliser Association of India said the Union Budget aligns agricultural productivity with supply security and affordability, while reinforcing domestic fertiliser capability.

 

S. Sankarasubramanian, Chairman, The Fertiliser Association of India, said the Budget reflects the evolving needs of Indian agriculture by linking productivity with resilience.

 

“This Budget brings together productivity, resilience, and affordability in a manner that reflects the changing requirements of Indian agriculture. The focus on district-level outcomes, improved seed systems, diversified cropping, and multilingual digital advisory platforms has the potential to improve on-farm decision-making and input efficiency, provided execution remains closely aligned with ground realities,” Sankarasubramanian said.

 

Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Director General, The Fertiliser Association of India, said the Budget encourages more localised and data-driven agricultural decision-making.

 

“This Budget pushes agriculture towards decisions that are more local, scientific, and accountable. Stronger seed systems, focused support for pulses and diversified crops, and district-level programmes create conditions for better planning and more efficient input use,” Chaudhari said. He added that multilingual digital advisory platforms and enhanced credit access, including higher Kisan Credit limits, support timely decision-making at the farm level.

6:53 PM

Budget 2026 signals policy continuity for long-cycle industries: DEE CMD

K L Bansal, chairman and managing director of DEE Development Engineers Limited, said the Budget reinforces continuity in policy support for capital-intensive and long-cycle industries. He added that it “stands out for supporting sectors that require sustained capital investment and long-term planning,” while highlighting a balanced approach to clean energy, nuclear power and customs reforms that improve ease of doing business and manufacturing competitiveness.

6:45 PM

Budget 2026 broadly reasonable, fiscal discipline stands out: ISB professor

Prasanna Tantri, Associate Professor of Finance and Executive Director of the Centre for Analytical Finance at Indian School of Business, said the Union Budget strikes a reasonable balance amid macroeconomic pressures.

 

“Given the challenging macroeconomic environment, this is a broadly reasonable budget. The most notable positive is the government’s ability to maintain a fiscal deficit of 4.4% of GDP despite meaningful tax cuts. This signals fiscal discipline rather than cosmetic accounting,” Tantri said.

6:41 PM

Budget 2026 backs infra-led growth, sustainability push: JK Lakshmi Cement

Arun Shukla, President and Director, JK Lakshmi Cement, said the Union Budget aligns infrastructure-led growth with sustainability priorities.

 

“The Union Budget remains aligned with the government’s Viksit Bharat and 2070 Net Zero vision and sends a clear signal on the direction of India’s growth by combining infrastructure-led development with a sharper focus on sustainability. The emphasis on Carbon Capture and Utilisation marks an important step towards enabling cleaner industrial growth,” Shukla said.

 

He added that the focus on developing infrastructure in cities with populations above five lakh will strengthen Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as emerging growth centres. “This will support companies in the infrastructure sector and generate sustained demand,” he said.

6:29 PM

Budget 2026 gives long-term tax certainty to data centres, IT services: EY

Ritika Loganey Gupta, partner and GCC tax leader at EY India, said Budget 2026 sends a strong policy signal for India’s digital infrastructure and GCC ecosystem. She called the data centre tax holiday till 2047 “a landmark policy signal” that improves investment viability, while adding that the consolidation of IT services under a single safe harbour framework will significantly reduce compliance complexity and support the scale-up of high-value global capability centres in India.

 

“The consolidation of software development, IT-enabled services, KPO and contract R&D into a single ‘IT Services’ category with a uniform 15.5% safe harbour margin materially simplifies transfer pricing outcomes for GCCs,” she said.

6:16 PM

Budget 2026 accelerates energy transition, capex push: Suzlon co-founder

Calling it “a testament to our nation’s resilience and commitment to growth,” Girish Tanti, co-founder and vice chairman of the Suzlon Group and chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association, said Budget 2026’s higher capital expenditure and energy spending, alongside a focus on renewable energy, grid modernisation and bond market reforms, will accelerate India’s energy transition and support long-term, sustainable growth.

6:14 PM

Budget 2026 backs AI, semiconductors and data centres: HCL co-founder Arjun Malhotra

“The Union Budget has demonstrated strong foresight in identifying and empowering the critical pillars charting India’s digital and manufacturing renaissance,” Arjun Malhotra, co-founder of HCL and the EPIC Foundation, said, adding that the sharp focus on AI adoption, ECMS, ISM 2.0 and data centre infrastructure will strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem and position the country as a credible alternative in global technology and semiconductor supply chains. 

6:10 PM

Budget 2026 shifts focus to structural enablement, jobs: Quess Corp CEO

Lohit Bhatia, CEO of Quess Corp Limited, said the Budget 2026 marks a move away from subsidy-led support towards long-term structural reforms. He said it “signals a decisive shift towards Viksit Bharat @2047,” as measures such as the SET framework for MSMEs, Corporate Mitras and TCS rationalisation aim to build a formal, high-value, employment-driven economy and strengthen India’s position as a global talent and technology hub.

6:07 PM

Budget 2026–27 links digital growth with future-ready energy push: Hitachi Energy

The Union Budget 2026–27 places energy infrastructure at the centre of India’s technology-led growth ambitions, with N Venu, managing director and CEO of Hitachi Energy India and South Asia, saying it “lays out a strong roadmap for technology-led growth” as higher public capital expenditure, AI-led digital acceleration and advanced manufacturing drive the need for resilient, carbon-free and future-ready power systems.

6:06 PM

Budget 2026 boosts tech skills demand, eases IT services compliance: Quess

Kapil Joshi, CEO of IT Staffing at Quess Corp, said the Budget 2026 strengthens the outlook for India’s IT staffing and services ecosystem by backing future technologies and easing compliance norms. He said it “signals a clear intent to build critical future technologies within the country,” while measures such as a unified IT services category and higher safe harbour limits improve predictability and support sustained job creation.

5:58 PM

Budget 2026 builds integrated EV supply chain, boosts clean mobility: Montra Electric

“From supporting lithium-ion cell manufacturing to strengthening semiconductor and electronics ecosystems, the government is enabling a truly integrated EV supply chain,” Jalaj Gupta, managing director of Montra Electric, said, adding that the Union Budget 2026 creates a strong foundation for clean mobility, localisation and sustainable manufacturing.