Budget 2026 Unveiled: Growth Push, Tech Drive, and MSME Boost
Budget 2026 Unveiled: Growth Push, Tech Drive, and MSME Boost
Budget 2026 charts a growth-focused path with capex, ISM 2.0 for semiconductors, and targeted boosts for MSMEs, defence, healthcare, and digital jobs.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled Union Budget 2026-27, signaling a clear push for growth through infrastructure, technology, and strategic sectors. A key move is a higher securities transaction tax (STT) on futures and options, aiming to deepen markets while funding capex. The budget earmarks ₹12.2 lakh crore for capital expenditure, underscoring a big bet on public investment to spur private activity.
On personal taxation, there is no change, even as incentives for MSMEs are expanded to support entrepreneurship and job creation. The plan also doubles down on connectivity with high-speed rail and rare-earth corridors, and it places semiconductors under ISM 2.0 to accelerate domestic manufacturing.
Defence gets a sizable allocation of ₹7.85 lakh crore, reflecting security concerns and modernization, while tourism, healthcare, education and digital jobs are singled out for policy attention and funding to raise productivity and living standards.
Tax relief for NRIs, reduced TCS on education and medical expenses, and customs exemptions for critical drugs and aircraft components aim to ease cross-border flows and reduce costs for Indian households and firms.
Industry veterans and policymakers featured in post-budget discussions highlight how these measures align with India's growth story. A market masterclass with Raamdeo Agrawal decoded the implications for investments and volatility, while a post-budget agriculture analysis examined farm incomes, MSP reforms, and supply chains through the lens of experts like Prof Ramesh Chand and Siraj Hussain. The takeaway: while challenges remain, the Budget sets a broad framework to unlock capital, reform sectors, and create digital-era jobs.
