Union Budget 2026-27 Overview: Setting India’s Economic Direction

Overview of the Budget: Setting India’s Economic Direction

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 for the ninth consecutive year, underscoring policy continuity at a time of global uncertainty. With geopolitical tensions, supply chain realignments and uneven global growth, the Budget adopts a steady, confidence-building approach anchored in the vision of Viksit Bharat, where ambition is balanced with inclusion.

Guided by the philosophy of “Action over Ambivalence, Reform over Rhetoric, and People over Populism”, the Union Budget 26-27 focuses on moderating consumer inflation management, sustained economic growth, fiscal discipline and reduced dependence on imports. It reinforces the government’s belief that sustained prosperity comes from strong domestic capacity, resilient institutions and empowered citizens.

Core themes forming this Budget:
 

• Moderate inflation and monetary stability to protect household purchasing power. Protection toward purchasing power will empower house purchases. These costs can be estimated using online budget calculators.
• Sustained growth through public investment and structural reforms.
• Fiscal prudence to maintain macroeconomic stability.
• Strengthening domestic manufacturing and energy security.
• Continued focus on far-reaching, forward-looking reforms.

Yuva Shakti and the Kartavya Framework: Focusing on People as Partners in Growth

Budget 2026-27 integrates the “Yuva Shakti” vision with the government’s “Kartavya” framework. It presents a consolidated execution-driven approach to development. Prepared in Kartavya Bhawan, the Budget reflects the government’s “Sankalp” to prioritise the poor, underprivileged and disadvantaged, while facilitating citizens to become active participants in India’s growth path. The government’s Sankalp is divided into three Kartavya’s:

• First Kartavya: Accelerate and sustain economic growth.
• Second Kartavya: Fulfil aspirations of the nation’s citizens.
• Third Kartavya: Vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.

Rather than treating growth, capacity building and inclusion as separate objectives, the Budget aligns them into a single framework. This approach seeks rate growth, build people’s capacity, and ensure inclusive participation across families, regions and sectors, in line with the vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.

What this combined framework delivers:
 

• Investment in health, education and skills to fulfil aspirations.
• Youth, women and underserved communities enabled as growth partners.
• Wider access to resources, amenities and economic opportunities.
• Introducing over 350 reforms, including GST simplification, notification of Labour Codes, and rationalisation of mandatory Quality Control Orders.
• Formation of High-Level Committees.
• Focus on deregulation and reducing compliance requirements.

   

Major Highlights of Union Budget 2026-27: Pillar-Wise Overview
 

People-Centric Development
 

Human capital development forms the backbone of the Budget’s growth strategy. By investing in healthcare, education, skills and care services, the government intends to improve quality of life while strengthening long-term economic participation.

Primary initiatives: 

• Training 1.5 lakh multiskilled caregivers annually to build a national care ecosystem.
• Setting up Self-Help Entrepreneur (SHE) Marts as community-owned retail outlets within the cluster level federations.
• Expansion of mental health infrastructure, including NIMHANS-2 and upgraded institutes in Ranchi and Tezpur. 
• Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana provides dignified livelihood opportunities through industry-relevant and customised training specific to disability groups.
• Establishment of emergency and trauma care centres in district hospitals.
• Five University Townships near industrial and logistics corridors.
• Girls’ hostels in every district to support STEM education. 
• AVGC Creator Labs in 15,000 schools and 500 colleges.
• Divyang Sahara Yojana: Timely access to high-quality assistive devices for all eligible. 
• Driving production of assistive devices, invest in R&D and AI integration with the Supporting Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO).
• Development of PM Divyasha Kendras as modern retail style centres.

Trust-Based Governance

Trust-based governance is positioned as a force multiplier for economic efficiency. By simplifying rules and shifting to technology-led systems, the Budget aims to reduce friction, encourage compliance and deepen participation in the formal economy.

Primary initiatives: 

• Extension of advance ruling validity under customs from three to five years.

• AI-enabled customs and cargo clearance processes.

• Enhancement of duty-deferral period for Tier 2 and Tier 3 Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) from 15 to 30 days. Under this eligible manufacturer and importers will get the same duty deferral facility. Government agencies will be encouraged to leverage AEO accreditation. 

• Regular importers with trusted longstanding supply chains will be recognised in the risk system, so that the need for verification of their cargo every time can be minimised. 

• The filing of Bill of Entry by a trusted importer, and arrival of goods to automatically notify Customs. 

• Modernisation of customs warehousing and logistics frameworks into warehouse operator-centric systems with self-declarations etc.

Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living

Reforms focus on reducing compliance burdens, improving access to finance and making tax systems more citizen friendly.

Key initiatives:

• Extended timelines for filing revised and belated income tax returns until March 31.
• Automated processes for obtaining lower or nil TDS certificates.
• Reduction of TCS to 2 percent on overseas education, medical remittances and tour packages. 
• Removal of the ₹10 lakh cap on courier exports, supporting small exporters.
• Strong MSME support through TReDS, credit guarantees and Corporate Mitras.

Manufacturing, Technology and Strategic Capabilities

A major thrust of Budget 2026-27 is reducing critical import dependence by strengthening domestic manufacturing in strategic sectors. The Budget specifies a precise roadmap to build globally competitive ecosystems.

Key initiatives:

• Biopharma SHAKTI, a ₹10,000 crore initiative over five years to position India as a global biopharma hub.
• Launch of India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 to develop equipment, materials and full-stack IP.
• Expansion of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme to ₹40,000 crore.
• Development of Rare Earth Corridors across Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
• Integrated support for capital goods, container manufacturing and textiles.

Healthcare, Care Economy and Medical Value Tourism

The Budget strengthens healthcare services and the care economy to meet domestic needs while positioning India as a global medical tourism destination.

Key initiatives:

• Five Medical Value Tourism hubs to be developed by states with private sector participation.
• Upgradation and creation of institutions for Allied Health Professionals across ten disciplines.
• NSQF-aligned programmes to train 1.5 lakh multiskilled caregivers.
• Expansion of the AYUSH ecosystem, including three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda and upgraded testing and certification infrastructure.

Education and Human Capital Development

Education infrastructure is aligned with industrial and technological growth to support long-term productivity and youth participation.

Key initiatives:

• Five University Townships near major industrial and logistics corridors.
• Girls’ hostels in STEM higher education institutions in every district.
• Upgradation of telescope infrastructure to strengthen scientific research capabilities.

Creative Economy, Design and Sports

The Budget recognises the Orange Economy as a rising source of jobs, innovation, and global cultural presence.

Key initiatives:

• AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 schools and 500 colleges.
• Establishment of a new National Institute of Design in eastern India.
• Expansion of the Khelo India Mission with structured talent development, sports science integration, and infrastructure support.

Tourism, Culture and Hospitality

Tourism is positioned as a high-employment and regionally balanced growth sector, supported by digital tools, skill development, and sustainable practices.

Key initiatives:

• National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid to document cultural and heritage sites.
• Development of sustainable mountain, turtle, and bird-watching trails.
• Development of 15 archaeological sites as experiential destinations.
• Upskilling of 10,000 tourist guides and establishment of a National Institute of Hospitality.
• Development of Buddhist Circuits in the North-Eastern region.

Information Technology and Digital Services

To boost services exports and provide certainty to IT and digital businesses, the Budget introduces targeted tax and policy reforms.

Key initiatives:

• Unified IT services category with a common safe harbour margin of 15.5 percent.
• Safe harbour threshold increased from ₹300 crore to ₹2,000 crore.
• Automated, rule-driven approval of safe harbour.
• Faster and extended Advance Pricing Agreement processes.
• Tax holidays until 2047 for foreign cloud service providers operating through India-based data centres.

Infrastructure, Urban Growth and Connectivity

Infrastructure still is a key growth multiplier. Public capital expenditure has been increased to ₹12.2 lakh crore, reinforcing momentum built over the past decade. The focus goes beyond metros to Tier II and Tier III cities, temple towns, and emerging economic regions.

Key initiatives:

• Seven high-speed rail corridors as inter-city growth connectors.
• Development of 20 national waterways over five years.
• Coastal cargo promotion and seaplane manufacturing incentives.
• City Economic Regions with ₹5,000 crore support over five years.
• Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund to attract private investment.
• Rolling out a Seaplane VGF Scheme to indigenise manufacturing. 
• ₹2 lakh crore support to states under SASCI Scheme. 
• Purvodaya scheme for development of Integrated East Coast Industrial Corridor.

Fiscal Discipline and Financial Stability

The Budget reiterates the government’s commitment to fiscal consolidation without compromising social and growth priorities. A stable deficit and debt trajectory strengthens macroeconomic confidence and aids long-term affordability.

Key initiatives:

• Fiscal deficit reduced to 4.3 percent of GDP in BE 2026-27.
• Debt-to-GDP ratio projected at 55.6 percent, with a medium-term target of 50 ± 1 percent.
• Continued shift towards asset-creating expenditure.
• Enhanced Finance Commission grants to states for capital investment.

Government’s Primary Objective and the Way Forward

Union Budget 2026-27 displays a mature and execution-focused approach towards economic governance. Presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, it stresses on continuity, credibility and long-term intent. The government’s primary objective is to sustain growth whilst ensuring inclusion, stability and trust in institutions.

Through integrating Yuva Shakti with a clear Kartavya framework, strengthening domestic capabilities, investing in people and sustaining fiscal discipline, the Budget lays a sound foundation for India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat. The way forward lies in consistent execution, deeper reforms and people-led growth that transforms aspiration into achievement.