Finance and Fintech sector
By: S. Anand, Founder & CEO of PaySprint, a fintech venture
“As India approaches Union Budget 2026, fintech must now be recognised as core financial infrastructure rather than a peripheral startup category. Digital rails such as payments, verification, and API-led banking today power MSMEs, merchants, and financial inclusion at population scale. The next phase of growth will depend on how strongly the budget prioritises resilience, security, and interoperability across this infrastructure.
A key expectation from Budget 2026 is policy and investment support for AI-led compliance, verification, and fraud prevention. As transaction volumes continue to rise, fintech infrastructure providers play a critical role in enabling secure onboarding, real-time risk assessment, and regulatory adherence. Encouraging India-first, explainable AI for regulated use cases will strengthen trust and scalability across the ecosystem.
Equally important is regulatory clarity and harmonisation. Fintechs operating across banking, payments, and verification need predictable compliance pathways and coordinated guidance from regulators. Simplifying compliance for startups while maintaining strong governance will help innovation and accountability grow together.
Finally, Budget 2026 should continue backing fintech models that expand financial access for MSMEs and underserved regions through low-friction digital onboarding and automation. With the right focus on infrastructure, compliance, and inclusion, India can consolidate its position as a global leader in fintech and regulatory technology”
Infrastructure & Commercial Design & Build
By: Sammeer Pakvasa, Managing Director & CEO, Eleganz Interiors Limited.
“As we approach the Union Budget 2026–27, the focus for industries connected to India’s built environment must shift decisively from intent to execution. Over the past few years, strong momentum in commercial real estate, infrastructure, and workplace development has been driven by urbanisation, private sector investment, and government-led capital expenditure. The upcoming Budget presents an opportunity to consolidate this momentum through greater policy predictability, operational efficiency, and long-term capacity building.
For project-driven sectors such as interiors and general contracting, the most impactful outcomes are those that reduce execution-level friction. Faster approvals, clearer compliance frameworks, and deeper digitisation across regulatory processes can significantly improve delivery timelines and cost certainty, while strengthening ease of doing business. Continuity in infrastructure and urban development spending remains critical, particularly across commercial districts and transit-oriented development, given its strong multiplier effect across the value chain. Workforce development also deserves sharper focus, with industry-linked skilling, safety, and certification frameworks playing a key role in improving productivity and quality.
Sustainability and technology adoption must continue moving from intent to implementation. Incentives for green materials, lifecycle-based procurement, BIM, and advanced project management tools will accelerate responsible, efficient execution. For working-capital-intensive businesses, stability through clear tax structures and reduced compliance complexity remains essential. At Eleganz Interiors, our execution experience reinforces how policy clarity, skilled manpower, and disciplined systems translate into resilient, future-ready commercial environments aligned with India’s growth priorities.”
Hospitality, Travel & Tourism, Homestays & Alternative Accommodation
By: Husain Khatumdi, Managing Director & Co-Founder, EkoStay, a homestay venture
“With travel preferences in India undergoing a clear shift, the lead up to Union Budget 2026 27 places renewed attention on the hospitality sector, especially homestays and alternative accommodation. As travellers increasingly seek private, experience driven stays, this segment has emerged as a significant contributor to tourism growth, local employment, and the strengthening of regional economies. A key expectation from this Budget is formal recognition and standardisation of the homestay and vacation rental ecosystem. Clear classification, uniform guidelines across states, and simplified licensing would reduce operational ambiguity and support organised growth.
Tax rationalisation is another priority. Hospitality operates on thin margins while managing high fixed costs. A more balanced GST structure and smoother input credit mechanisms would allow operators to reinvest in quality, safety, and service consistency. Continued investment in tourism infrastructure, regional connectivity, and destination promotion is equally critical, especially for unlocking Tier II and Tier III markets.
At EkoStay, we believe Budget 2026 can strengthen this ecosystem by enabling sustainable expansion, formalisation, and long-term policy stability for experience-driven travel in India.”
Healthcare sector
By- Nivedita Basu, Founder & Chief Vision Officer, Global Cancer Care
“As the Union Budget 2026–27 approaches, India’s healthcare system finds itself at a defining moment where growing intent must be matched with sustained, people-centric action. Public health spending has steadily increased and is estimated at around 1.9 per cent of GDP, yet it continues to fall short of the National Health Policy target of 2.5 per cent. This shortfall is critical in a system where out-of-pocket expenditure remains high and illness can still push families into financial distress.
The Union Budget 2025–26 took a positive step with a near 10 percent increase in health allocations, but rising disease burden and demographic shifts call for sharper focus on prevention and early intervention. From a cancer care perspective, late detection remains one of India’s most expensive healthcare failures. India records over 1.4 million new cancer cases annually, with a large proportion detected at advanced stages. Global evidence consistently shows that early detection significantly improves survival outcomes while reducing long-term treatment costs.
Budget 2026 should therefore prioritise preventive screening programmes, subsidised diagnostics, and patient navigation systems that enable timely action. Expanding access beyond Tier I cities through diagnostics, oncology services, tele-health, and workforce development is equally important. Rationalising tax and regulatory structures for diagnostics and medical devices would further improve affordability and innovation.
Healthcare must be treated as foundational to productivity, dignity, and economic resilience. Sustained investment in prevention, early detection, and accessible care will save lives while reducing the invisible economic burden on Indian families.”
HealthTech & Health sector
By: Apurv Modi, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Abhay Group
“Union Budget 2026 27 arrives at a defining moment for India’s healthcare journey when technology is no longer a support function but a system level enabler of access quality and efficiency. HealthTech today sits at the intersection of public health economic growth and digital governance. The upcoming budget has the opportunity to move the sector from momentum to maturity.
India has seen widespread adoption of teleconsultations e pharmacies home diagnostics and digital health records. However much of this progress remains fragmented. Budget 2026 27 should prioritise the shift from standalone pilots to interoperable platforms that work seamlessly across states providers and populations. Focused investment in digital infrastructure for Tier 2 Tier 3 and rural India including connectivity cloud capacity and last mile delivery will ensure technology translates into outcomes.
MSMEs form the backbone of HealthTech innovation yet face regulatory complexity, capital constraints and delayed approvals. Simplified compliance, faster validation pathways, affordable working capital and clear GST treatment for digital health solutions can significantly accelerate innovation without demanding subsidies.
India is now ready for the next phase of digital public health. Interoperable health data standards secure exchanges incentives for identified research data and stronger cybersecurity will enable early detection, smarter policy and preventive care. With the right policy push HealthTech can evolve from convenience to national capability and position India as a global innovation hub for the decade ahead.”
Advertising & Marketing , Creative Services, Services Economy
By- Siddharth Jalan, Founder, SquidJC, a boutique marketing lab
“India’s services economy is entering a phase where growth alone is no longer the differentiator. As Union Budget 2026–27 approaches, the focus is shifting toward how much long term value the sector can create and retain. Across advertising and marketing, Indian firms today operate at the centre of business thinking. In fashion, consumer goods, BFSI, and education, agencies have moved from execution to shaping how brands are understood, trusted, and remembered. This shift matters because brands increasingly decide who competes globally and who falls behind.
In fashion and consumer businesses, brand strength drives pricing power and export readiness. In BFSI, communication builds confidence at scale as products become more digital. In education, credibility influences partnerships, mobility, and long term value. Creative services quietly shape outcomes though policy rarely reflects this. The budget must offer clarity through predictable taxation, simpler compliance, and smoother cross border operations. Agencies are talent and IP led firms where friction slows growth. IP creation is rising as brands invest in platforms, data, and AI tools. Clear IP rules would drive investment. Talent remains central. Applied skilling and AI education would strengthen the pipeline. Tax rationalisation would free capital for reinvestment. Budget support here matters. At SquidJC, we work with brands across fashion, consumer goods, BFSI, and education that are building for long-term relevance, both in India and globally. Union Budget 2026–27 has the opportunity to support this shift by backing clarity, capability, and ownership. A budget that understands the role of brands, IP, and creative services strengthens India’s position as a serious, value-led exporter of services.”
IoT & Power
By: Building India’s Next-Generation Digital Energy Infrastructure by Teppo Hemiä, Founder & CEO, Wirepas
“As India enters the next phase of its energy transition, Union Budget 2026–27 has an opportunity to strengthen how the country builds and operates its digital power infrastructure. While electrification and renewable integration have made strong progress, the focus must now shift to intelligence, resilience, and operational efficiency across the grid.
One of the most critical areas is power distribution, where the rapid rollout of smart meters, rooftop solar, electric vehicles, and distributed energy resources is increasing grid complexity. Budget support that accelerates Advanced Metering Infrastructure beyond billing use cases, toward grid operations, power quality monitoring, and demand-side flexibility, will unlock far greater value from existing investments.
Equally important is grid-edge intelligence enabled by interoperable, standards-based IoT connectivity. Supporting scalable, cost-efficient connectivity options and long-term lifecycle-efficient infrastructure will help utilities adapt to evolving requirements without repeated asset replacement. A forward-looking Budget can ensure India’s energy infrastructure is not only large-scale, but future-ready and resilient.”
Jewellery Sector
By- Anand Lukhi, Founder & CEO, Lukson, on budget expectations.
“India’s gems and jewellery industry is entering a new phase of transformation, shaped by shifting consumer values, sustainability priorities, and technological advancement. As Union Budget 2026–27 approaches, the sector finds itself at a pivotal moment, particularly with the growing adoption of lab grown diamonds.
Budget 2026–27 should recognise lab-grown diamonds as a strategic sunrise segment, with continued rationalisation of duties on raw materials and equipment, and targeted incentives for advanced manufacturing. Such measures can lower entry barriers for MSMEs and accelerate ethical, future-ready diamond production.
Given the sector’s strong MSME backbone, simplified GST compliance, faster refunds for export units, and improved access to affordable credit would meaningfully strengthen cash flows and scalability. Equally important is investment in design-led skilling and technology adoption, ensuring India moves up the value chain from volume-driven exports to high-value branded jewellery. A balanced policy focus on manufacturing, sustainability, exports, and consumer trust can position India as a global leader in next-generation jewellery innovation.”