HS Kandhari, Executive Director, Harmony Infra Ventures
“The Budget sends a clear message that infrastructure remains central to India’s growth strategy. The increase in capital expenditure to ₹12.2 lakh crore provides much-needed continuity and confidence for developers and contractors planning long-term projects.
What stands out is the proposed Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund. Addressing risk at the construction and development stage is crucial, especially for large projects, and this move should improve lender confidence and private participation.
The focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and the push to strengthen construction equipment and capabilities also signal a more balanced and execution-focused approach. Overall, this Budget creates a more stable and enabling environment for infrastructure delivery across the country.”
Mohit Mittal, CEO – MORES
The Budget continues to build on the government’s effort to unlock value from infrastructure and real estate assets. The proposal to accelerate CPSE asset monetisation through dedicated REITs is a practical step that can bring greater transparency and institutional participation into the real estate market.
While there are no major changes announced for InvITs, the continued policy emphasis reinforces their importance as long-term capital vehicles. Combined with higher public spending on infrastructure, this improves visibility for investors looking at real assets in India. Better connectivity and regional infrastructure development will naturally influence how and where real estate demand emerges. From an investment perspective, the direction is steady and encouraging.
Vishal Datt Wadhwa, Founder & CEO, CoWorkZen
“The Budget’s strong focus on infrastructure and the development of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities is encouraging for the managed office and coworking sector. As connectivity improves and emerging cities become more business-friendly, we’re seeing growing interest from startups as well as larger companies exploring expansion beyond the metros.
The idea of developing city economic regions also supports the broader shift toward decentralised growth. This aligns well with how organisations are rethinking their office strategies today, including hub-and-spoke models and distributed teams. With more momentum expected from MSMEs and new-age sectors, demand for flexible, professionally managed workspaces in these cities is likely to grow steadily in the coming years.”
Rajat Mahajan, Founder, RealChef
“The government’s decision to increase the outlay of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme to ₹40,000 crore reflects strong confidence in India’s manufacturing potential. The fact that investment commitments have already exceeded targets shows that industry is ready to scale when the policy environment is stable and forward-looking.
Such momentum-driven policy support strengthens the overall manufacturing ecosystem, encouraging technology adoption, supply-chain localisation, and long-term capacity building. For Indian manufacturers, this sends a clear signal that the government is committed to creating a globally competitive, self-reliant manufacturing landscape.”
Aagman Bhatia Co founder & CPO,MrProptek
India’s Union Budget 2026 delivers a pragmatic blueprint for resilience, prioritizing fiscal discipline at a 4.3% deficit while channeling ₹12 lakh crore into capex for infrastructure and MSMEs—moves that will undoubtedly stabilize growth amid global headwinds. Yet, as a real estate tech professional tracking AI’s transformative potential, I can’t shake the sense that this budget plays it too safe on the frontiers that could redefine India’s global edge.
AI’s Understated Moment
The ₹2,000 crore nod to the IndiaAI Mission is commendable groundwork, especially with startups at their cultural zenith, churning out innovation from Bengaluru to Noida. But in a landscape where AI promises a $1 trillion economy by 2030, this feels like a tentative toe-dip rather than a bold dive. Imagine subsidies on GPU compute power or venture-matched grants for homegrown entrepreneurs. Instead, we got measured support, leaving the race with U.S. hyperscalers and China’s state-backed AI machine feeling a lap behind.
Education and Skills: Future-Proofing Deferred
Equally telling is the pivot to content creation labs over expanding Atal Tinkering Labs or embedding AI curricula across engineering colleges. Government’s nod to digital content acknowledges a booming creator economy, sure—but where’s the parallel urgency for skilling 10 million youth in machine learning, robotics, or deep tech? Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, ripe for disruption, need this infusion to leapfrog, not just catch up.
Housing’s Quiet Oversight
Affordable housing—a linchpin for citizen independence—gets no fresh oxygen, even as metro prices spiral out of reach. Tier-2/3 urbanisation could have been turbocharged with incentives, tying into green building GST cuts.
manufacturing PLIs, energy reforms via PFC/REC merger, and startup credit hikes fueling 7-8% GDP. But long-term? This budget fortifies the core admirably, yet hesitates on the moonshots. India has the talent and momentum—next year, let’s merge AI with electronics manufacturing and unleash the full $1T potential. The runway is still there; the engines just need more thrust.
Sanjay Gambhir, CFO, Karcher India
Automotive, Manufacturing & Consumer Demand: A Leap Forward
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. It directly enhances our ability to:
– Respond faster to market needs with high-performance cleaning solutions.
– Optimise operational costs as domestic supply chains for industrial components strengthen.
– Drive efficiency across the new logistics ecosystems and ‘City Economic Regions’ planned for Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
By powering the productivity of India’s factories and warehouses, we are proud to align with this vision of a more resilient, globally competitive manufacturing ecosystem.
Ritz Malik, Founder – Ritz Media World
“This year’s Budget feels encouraging from a business sentiment point of view. When the broader economy shows intent to invest in growth and infrastructure, it usually creates a ripple effect across industries — including marketing and media. We’re already seeing digital take a larger share of ad spends in India, and that shift will only get stronger as brands look for more measurable and targeted ways to reach consumers. For agencies and marketers, the opportunity now is to move beyond just visibility and focus on communication that truly connects with people in a fast-changing environment.”
Satyabrata Satapathy, Co-founder & CEO BonV Aero
Budget 2026-27 is a landmark moment for India’s UAV sovereignty. The Purvodaya plan’s Integrated East Coast Industrial Corridor creates a transformative logistics backbone, ideal for scaling heavy-lift drone operations across cargo and defense sectors. By deploying the ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund, the government is providing the essential patient capital for deep-tech pioneers to transition from R&D to global-scale manufacturing.
Crucially, the mandatory TReDS mandate for CPSEs is a game-changer, it secures a vital liquidity lifeline by accelerating payments from defense PSUs, ensuring indigenous manufacturers can sustain rapid innovation. These reforms collectively fortify India’s aerospace supply chain, positioning the nation as a resilient, high-skill hub for the global unmanned aerial revolution.”
