Expectations from Union Budget 2026-27
Quote by Mr. Sharan Bansal, Director, Skipper Limited
"The Union Budget 2026 is a strategic move that will trigger a power infrastructure transformation in India as the country enters the next stage of economic development. To firms such as Skipper Limited that are leading in boosting the backbone of the transmission and distribution in the country, we are of the opinion that this Budget does not only need to enhance the momentum of the last few years, but entrench more reforms and financial incentives that will unlock sustainable growth along the power value chain.
The emphasis on reforms in the power distribution such as the measured impetus towards performance-based structures and the increased implementation of smart metering systems will be essential. Such efforts do not only enhance the transparency of bills and efficiency of operations but also enhance financial sustainability of DISCOMs in the long run, which is a necessity in the existence of a dynamic and robust power sector.
In addition to distribution, the power industry is undergoing a structural transformation in which the renewable energy and storage is the core of India energy transition. The Budget will give us the additional backing we need to expand renewable capacity additions and enable a faster pace of grid modernisation and improve energy storage systems that will provide reliability as variable renewable generation rises. This assistance must be accompanied with certainty on the policy front that can enable local production of essential power equipment in line with the overall goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
At Skipper, we will facilitate this move by investing in the sophisticated T&D systems, power infrastructure solutions and grid enabling technologies. We also wish to see the next Budget strengthening fiscal and policy incentives that will ensure that the power sector in India is efficient, competitive and future ready. This will not only assist in meeting national targets but also to make India a world leader in power infrastructure excellence."
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Union Budget 2026-27
Quote by Mr. Devesh Bansal, Director, Skipper Limited
"As India charts its fiscal priorities through the Union Budget 2026–27, there lies a remarkable opportunity to reinforce the country's export momentum amid a rapidly evolving global trade landscape. Although India has been able to exhibit resilience in its export performances, the constant tariff barriers in major markets has highlighted the necessity of supporting its policy in a calibrated manner to ensure the enhancement of our competitive positioning as well as market access by our exporters across industries.
I feel that a farsighted Budget should focus on rationalisation of export tariffs, incentives that encourage export-oriented production and smooth incorporation of India manufacturing potentials into the global value chains. By ensuring timely and efficient customs processes, enhanced credit facilities in exporting and the broadening of the purpose of schemes like the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP), the cost competitiveness will genuinely enhance among the Indian exporters.
We are also pleased as the government takes proactive measures in initiating the Export Promotion Mission with a huge financial support which is an indication of serious intent of supporting exporters especially MSMEs which get hit by tariff head winds and working capital limitations predominantly. Turning preferential access under FTAs into manifest export expansion, such as targeted implementation of the India-EU trade accord and other market connections, can open the door to significant export potential and elicit high volumes and destination footprints.
In this respect, the Budget must focus on specific fiscal incentives to enhance investment in export preparation, technology uptake and quality assurance, so that, Indian products will be at par with other products in the international market. An export-led and tariff benefit realisation drive will not just drive India into the world of trade, but also maximize employment, ensure local industrial ecosystems and bring about sustainable and fair growth. At Skipper, we are determined to work towards this vision and collaborate with the stakeholders in shifting the policy momentum into export impact."
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Union Budget 2026-27
Quote by Mr. Siddharth Bansal, Director, Skipper Limited
"The water infrastructure sector is at a crossroad as India plots its economic and social transformation. To have a resource that is invaluable, and forms the backbone of livelihoods, health, agricultural and industrial development, healthy and future-oriented water systems are not only acceptable but are necessary. We are passionate at Skipper Limited to provide resilient water infrastructure solutions that will achieve quality, reliability and sustainability on a large scale both in urban and rural India.
In my opinion, this Budget offers a rare chance to the Government of India to strengthen its vision of water security in the long-term perspective through the expansion of investments in key water infrastructure, such as piped water networks, treatment and recycling plants, smart water management systems that apply digital technologies and data-driven optimisation. Continued efforts to develop flagship programs like the Jal Jeevan Mission through better concentration on quality of service, community involvement and operations and maintenance will trigger the overall inclusive provision of safe drinking water by reaching out to millions of households.
Meanwhile we expect to find in the Budget, the means of fostering new funding structures, blended public-private partnerships and performance-based grants which can help unlock latent potential in the sector, particularly in the last-mile delivery space. Water infrastructure should also be climate resilient, investments in storage, treatment and reuse capacity and certainty in policy will offer assurance of participation in the sector by the private sector and adoption of technology on a large scale.
The type of progressive Budget that works with the water infrastructure as a priority will not only speed up the process of Indian growth, but it will also guarantee fair distribution of a resource that is at the heart of the Indian happiness and wellbeing."
“Ahead of the Union Budget, we expect focused tax reforms that remove long-standing operational frictions for NBFCs. Allowing loss carry-forward in genuine internal restructurings and rationalising ESOP taxation by deferring tax to the point of sale will help companies scale responsibly while retaining critical talent. Extending parity to NBFCs under Section 194A by exempting them from TDS on interest would further reduce compliance burden for MSMEs, ease working capital pressures, and enable smoother co-lending and credit flow.”
- Mr. Akshay Sarma, CFO at axio.
Shantanu Rooj, Founder and CEO, TeamLease Edtech -
"As AI-led disruption reshapes jobs at an unprecedented pace, the gains in productivity will accrue largely to organisations, while workers face growing risks of role displacement. In the upcoming Union Budget, a mandated 1% allocation of corporate profits toward workforce upskilling, could create a dedicated national reskilling pool without materially burdening businesses. At scale, such a mechanism would unlock sustained funding to support role transitions and prepare India's workforce for new-age, AI-enabled jobs."
By Devendra Kumar, Founder, Ladli Foundation-
As India prepares for Budget 2026, the moment demands deeper reflection on an emerging yet largely overlooked barrier to girls' education: the digital divide. While policy efforts over the years have improved enrolment, nutrition, and school retention for girls, a critical gap is now pushing thousands of marginalised girls out of the education system immediately after Class 12.
A growing number of girl students, particularly from government schools and the economically weaker sections, are unable to transition to higher education because they cannot clear computer-based entrance examinations such as CUET, JEE, and NEET. These exams, now central to college and university admissions, assume a level of digital familiarity that many girls from government schools lack.
The reality is stark. Many government schools continue to suffer from an acute lack of functional computer infrastructure. For countless girls, Class 12 marks the first and often last interaction with formal education, not because of a lack of merit or aspiration, but because they have never had the opportunity even to touch a computer mouse. Expecting them to compete in computer-based national examinations without prior exposure is neither fair nor equitable.
This digital exclusion is fast becoming a new form of educational discrimination, one that disproportionately affects girls from marginalised communities and rural or semi-urban regions. Without urgent intervention, the promise of higher education and women-led development risks remaining inaccessible to those who need it the most.
Budget 2026 must therefore prioritise bridging this digital divide. Dedicated allocations are urgently required to establish and operate advanced computer laboratories in every government school, equipped with sufficient functional computers, reliable internet connectivity, and trained instructors. Digital literacy must be treated not as an optional add-on, but as a core educational necessity, particularly from middle school onwards.
Such an investment will not only prepare girls to appear confidently in national-level entrance examinations but also enhance their long-term employability, access to digital skills, and participation in the modern economy. Supporting digital readiness is, in effect, supporting educational continuity.
At Ladli Foundation, we firmly believe that investing in digital access for girls is an investment in India's future workforce, leadership, and social equity. A truly progressive and gender-sensitive Budget 2026 must recognise that empowering girls today requires equipping them for the digital realities of tomorrow. Bridging the digital divide is no longer optional; it is the need of the hour if India is to ensure inclusive, sustainable, and women-led development.
Mr. Manoj Tulsian, CEO & Joint Managing Director, Greenply Industries Ltd-
"The upcoming Union Budget is expected to strengthen India's industrial ecosystem, given the increasing unpredictability of global commerce and the way tariffs are changing supply chains.
For the wood panel and furniture industry, the Union Budget must continue incentives for affordable housing, increased tax exemptions on home loan interest payments, and policies that enhance liquidity for real estate developers. In addition, we look forward to a strong push for 'Make in India' furniture and interior products, that promote domestic sourcing and value addition. This will help drive capacity additions and make Indian wood panel manufacturers more sustainable and less dependent on imports."
Sameer Kanodia, Managing Director and CEO of Lumina Datamatics Limited
"As India prepares for the Union Budget, we expect a sharper policy focus on strengthening digital and AI-led infrastructure that underpins knowledge services, publishing, and the fast-growing retail and e-commerce ecosystem. Continued investments in advanced technologies such as AI, automation, and cloud platforms will be critical to improving productivity across content creation, digital publishing workflows, and large-scale retail operations.
For the publishing sector, targeted support for technology-enabled content production, research digitisation, and global content services exports can help Indian companies deepen their role in the international knowledge economy. Similarly, policy measures that encourage data-driven retail operations, catalogue automation, and digital supply chains will be vital as e-commerce scales in complexity and volume.
Aligned with our expectations, a strong emphasis on AI-focused skill development, R&D incentives, and ease of doing business for technology-driven service providers that can enable companies to continue building globally competitive solutions from India, while creating high-value employment and accelerating innovation across publishing and commerce."
