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New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026 on Sunday in Lok Sabha. This was the ninth consecutive budget that Nirmala Sitharaman presented in the Parliament. Today’s Budget presentation broke with long-standing convention, with Part B of her Budget speech emerging as the main platform for outlining India’s economic vision and reform agenda, according to the reports.
After taking oath on May 31 2019 under PM Modi’s leadership, Sitharaman’s tenure as finance minister has spanned 6 years and 8 months. She presented her maiden budget on July 5, 2019 and also holds the record for delivering the longest budget speech when she spoke for 2hrs and 42mins, while presenting the Union Budget for the 2020-21 financial year on February 1, 2020.
Adrija Agarwal, VP Business Development, Sattva Group
“The focus on infrastructure spending has a real ripple effect. Better connectivity improves ease of travel, enables more efficient sharing of resources, and leads to stronger utilisation across manufacturing and infrastructure. This helps accelerate consumption and creates a more balanced economy.
The scale of the capex push reflects fiscal prudence and a long-term, structural approach to growth. The push to strengthen the service economy through supportive tax structures for data centres and Global Capability Centres will build growth momentum, accelerate value creation, and reinforce India’s position as a preferred destination for global enterprises.”
“The Union Budget 2026 unveils a visionary, decade‑long Khelo India Mission, backed by a significantly larger sports budget and strategic infrastructure investments to make India a global sporting powerhouse. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ allocation jumped to Rs 4,479.88 crore, including a historic Rs 500 crore for the sports goods sector and targeted capital for state‑of‑the‑art training centres, competition stadia, and support facilities. By integrating sports science, nurturing coaches and developing eco‑friendly infrastructure linked to leagues and grassroots hubs, the mission will create direct employment and skill opportunities across sectors. With India gearing up for the 100th Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, this budget turns aspiration into structured growth and jobs.”
– NASIR ALI, CEO and Founder Gallant Sports and Infra
Sudhir Kothari, MD & CEO, Embee Software
“Union Budget 2026 delivers a decisive boost to India’s IT sector by expanding safe harbour thresholds from ₹300 crore to ₹2,000 crore and standardising margins at 15.5%. This long-awaited reform brings much-needed tax certainty, reduces prolonged transfer-pricing disputes, and eases compliance for mid-sized and large IT services firms alike. By simplifying regulations and promoting automated, transparent assessment mechanisms, the government has reinforced its commitment to a stable and predictable policy environment. These measures will enhance global investor confidence, enable IT companies to focus on innovation and scaling, and further strengthen India’s position as a trusted, competitive hub for digital services in an increasingly interconnected global economy.”
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
Ayush Lohia, CEO, Youdha
Manish Jain, Managing Director, Enviro Infra Engineers Limited
“India’s Union Budget 2026 reinforces the government’s continued commitment to infrastructure led growth, sustainability and environmental resilience. The substantial increase in public capital expenditure to a record ₹12.2 lakh crore underlines a strong push for modern and integrated infrastructure development across transport, logistics, urban and water systems — a priority that directly expands opportunities in water, wastewater, sanitation and environmental engineering.”
Uday Deshmukh, Chairman & Founder CEO of Onco-Life Cancer Centre
“We wholeheartedly welcome the Union Budget 2026–27 and the landmark announcement of Biopharma Shakti with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore. This visionary initiative comes at a critical juncture, as India faces a growing burden of chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. The proposed investment over the next five years will significantly strengthen domestic biopharmaceutical research, innovation, and manufacturing—making advanced cancer therapies more accessible and affordable. By accelerating clinical research and precision medicine while reducing import dependence, Biopharma Shakti has the potential to transform cancer care outcomes and build a truly self-reliant healthcare ecosystem for India.”
<font color="09090a“>Dr. Aparna Govil Bhaskar,
LH Hiranandani Hospital, Apollo, Saifee Hospital and Namaha Hospitals, MumbaiFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s emphasis on Biopharma Shakti is a timely and much-needed step as India’s disease burden rapidly shifts towards lifestyle-linked non-communicable conditions such as obesity and diabetes. We are witnessing a sharp rise in obesity across all age groups, which is now one of the leading drivers of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver and joint problems. Bariatric and metabolic surgery has emerged as a proven, long-term solution for severe obesity and diabetes control, but access and affordability remain challenges for many patients. The proposed ₹10,000-crore Biopharma Shakti initiative can strengthen research, innovation and domestic manufacturing of advanced metabolic drugs, nutritional therapies and post-surgery care solutions. By building India as a biopharma manufacturing hub, this strategy can support comprehensive obesity management, improve diabetes outcomes, and reduce the long-term healthcare burden on families and the system, while promoting preventive and sustainable care.
Manoj Verma, COO – Bikaji Foods International Ltd
“The Union Budget 2026 reinforces a macro-economic framework focused on consumption stability, execution discipline and supply-chain efficiency, all of which are critical for the packaged foods sector. The emphasis on realistic fiscal planning, outcome-based monitoring and infrastructure-led development strengthens the operating environment for food processing companies that depend on consistent demand, efficient logistics and predictable regulatory systems. As disposable incomes benefit from broader economic stability and formal employment generation, demand for trusted, branded food products is expected to remain resilient. At an industry level, this supports investments in capacity expansion, quality assurance and distribution reach, while at a macro level it contributes to value-added manufacturing, employment generation and the strengthening of India’s organised food processing ecosystem.”
“Budget 2026 reflects a clear and deliberate push to strengthen India’s manufacturing and research ecosystem, particularly in biopharma. The Biopharma Shakti initiative, with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore over five years, is a significant boost for a sector driven by high value, high skill and high technology products. The creation of 1,000 clinical trial sites and the move to strengthen CDSCO to global standards demonstrate a deep understanding of what it takes to build a globally competitive biopharmaceutical industry. Repeated emphasis on quality upgradation and R and D infrastructure, seen across initiatives from biopharma to textiles, will provide a strong lift to the testing, inspection and certification ecosystem. The commitment to upgrading drug testing facilities for Ayurveda, with a focus on quality and skilled manpower to support exports, further reinforces the government’s intent to build robust quality infrastructure across healthcare segments. This approach aligns well with the India EU free trade agreement, which opens access to regulated global markets where compliance and quality are critical. The parallel focus on strengthening education and research institutions will also help address the skilled manpower gap that must be filled to scale manufacturing sustainably. Overall, the budget sets a strong foundation, with execution now becoming the key differentiator.”
Dr. Saurabh Arora, Managing Director, Auriga Research
Sanjay Gambhir, CFO, Karcher India
With the Union Budget 2026 raising public capital expenditure to a record ₹12.2 lakh crore, India’s infrastructure and manufacturing trajectory has received a massive booster shot. The focus on developing industrial corridors and reviving 200 industrial clusters ensures that the automotive and allied sectors will maintain a high-growth momentum.
For Kärcher India, the budget’s emphasis on localisation—specifically through support for capital goods and electronics—is a game changer.
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