Talking heads
A Budget for the real economy. Welcome increase in defence spend. Broad fiscal discipline continues. Works on balancing between financialisation of the economy, and focused development of diverse, deep India long term
Uday Kotak, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Founder & Director
A growth-oriented Budget, with a clear focus on increasing public capital expenditure and boosting manufacturing. It is a Budget which creates opportunities for youth to improve their livelihoods, women to become financially independent and for employment-intensive sectors like medical tourism to take off.
Anil Agarwal, Vedanta Group Chairman
This Budget focuses on enhancing India’s competitiveness in the world, takes meaningful steps towards atmanirbharta and enables a wider participation in the benefits of economic growth. Overall, Budget 2026 signals continuity in policy direction, a firm commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth, and efforts to unlock India’s economic potential at scale. We believe these measures can accelerate innovation, enhance value-added manufacturing and strengthen India’s standing in the world.
Anish Shah, Mahindra Group CEO & MD
The Union Budget 2026 underscores India’s commitment to a structural reform-led economic roadmap, driven by three core kartavyas (duties) of sustained growth, fulfilling aspirations, and advancing the vision of inclusive progress. Notably, the pharmaceutical sector was the first to be highlighted in the Finance Minister’s presentation, signalling its strategic importance. The emphasis on biologics and biosimilars is particularly timely, as India is at the cusp of taking a global lead in this space.
Satish Reddy, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, Chairman
The Union Budget 2026-27 continues to focus on long-term, sustained economic growth with a strong emphasis on manufacturing, infrastructure including freight corridors & waterways and fiscal prudence. The decision to raise the capital expenditure target to `12.2 lakh crore for FY 2026-27 from `11.2 lakh crore in the current year will provide a strong impetus to demand creation and industrial activity, including the automobile sector.
Shailesh Chandra, SIAM President and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd MD & CEO
