Union Budget'26: India Inc seeks stability as AI takes centre stage

As the Union Budget 2026 draws closer, India Inc is firming up its expectations amid rising global economic uncertainty, tariff pressures, and volatile capital flows. With the global economy facing trade disruptions and slowing growth, industry leaders are seeking policy stability, targeted tax relief, and growth-oriented measures to sustain India’s economic momentum.Corporate leaders say India’s resilience reflects years of calibrated policymaking, and Budget 2026 is seen as a key opportunity to further strengthen manufacturing-led Atmanirbhar Bharat, deepen supply chain resilience, and recalibrate growth priorities.
Industry participants are calling for a shift from pure capacity creation to smarter utilisation of existing infrastructure, particularly in warehousing and logistics. Policy support for digitally connected and automated storage, AI-led space management, energy efficiency, and continued investment in logistics corridors is expected to unlock underutilised capacity and boost MSME participation and job creation.At the same time, balancing strong credit demand with asset quality remains a key concern. 
Policy support for digitally connected warehousing, shared and distributed storage models, and AI-led space management can significantly improve utilisation and demand responsiveness. Greater emphasis on automation, energy efficiency, and digital operations can unlock underutilised storage, especially in dense urban and fast-growing semi-urban markets. Continued investment in logistics corridors remains essential, while targeted skilling, tax rationalisation, and better access to finance can further boost MSME participation and long-term job creation," said Aditya Kale, Founder & CEO, AirattixSeen balancing credit growth with loan quality, RBI caution in focus.As credit demand remains strong across retail and MSME segments, policymakers and lenders say the challenge for Budget 2026 will be sustaining growth without compromising financial stability.Experts say development spending and fiscal stability must be complemented by stronger credit appraisal standards, with technology, analytics, and digital lending infrastructure playing a larger role in managing risks while sustaining growth.
Artificial intelligence has emerged as a central theme in Budget expectations, especially in healthcare. Industry stakeholders are urging higher allocations for digital health infrastructure, interoperable data systems, AI-driven diagnostics, and support for healthtech innovation, alongside focused skilling initiatives to expand access and improve outcomes.Across sectors, AI is increasingly viewed as core economic infrastructure rather than an emerging technology. With AI projected to add $1.7 trillion to India’s economy by 2035, industry leaders see Budget 2026 as a critical inflection point to accelerate innovation through stronger R&D incentives, AI-ready digital and compute infrastructure, clean-energy data centres, and deeper public–private collaboration on skilling.
As global volatility persists, India Inc sees Budget 2026 as pivotal in reinforcing confidence, future-proofing growth, and positioning artificial intelligence at the heart of India’s next phase of economic expansion.

(Business Correspondent)