New Delhi, Feb 1 (NationPress) The Union Budget 2026-27, unveiled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, showcases the government's ambition of propelling growth, enhancing resilience, and achieving inclusive development.

This budget is a culmination of over ten years of consistent economic advancement, merging reforms with strategic investments aimed at uplifting manufacturing, infrastructure, energy security, and social welfare.

With an unprecedented level of public capital expenditure, support for pivotal sectors such as semiconductors, bio-pharma, textiles, and rare earths, along with initiatives to bolster MSMEs, cooperatives, and rural ventures, the Budget aspires to establish India as a global frontrunner in innovation and production.

Simultaneously, it emphasizes the enhancement of living standards, education, healthcare, and sustainability, effectively balancing economic aspirations with social accountability.

India's economy has witnessed consistent growth paired with low inflation over the last 12 years, propelled by targeted reforms under PM Modi's administration.

Key Highlights:

Over 350 reforms have been implemented since Independence Day 2025, including GST simplification, Labour Codes notification, and the rationalization of Quality Control Orders.

Ongoing reforms in customs, indirect taxes, and direct taxation aim to improve the ease of living and doing business.

Ideas from the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026 influenced various proposals, marking this as a youth-centric budget.

Public capital expenditure (Capex) is set at an all-time high of Rs 12.2 lakh crore.

Effective Capex is estimated at 4.4% of GDP, the highest in a decade.

Special Assistance to states for Capital Investment (SASCI) has been raised by 23% to Rs 1.85 lakh crore.

A new Dedicated Freight Corridor from Dankuni (East) to Surat (West) will be launched.

Operationalization of 20 new National Waterways is scheduled over the next five years.

A Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme will be introduced to encourage a modal shift from rail and road.

Investment of Rs 20,000 crore over the next five years will be allocated for Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technologies across five industries.

City Economic Regions (CERs) will be developed with an allocation of Rs 5,000 crore per region over five years.

Seven High-Speed Rail corridors will be created: Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri.

There will be integrated development of 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars to enhance fisheries growth.

High-value agriculture will be promoted: coconut, sandalwood, cocoa, and cashew in coastal areas; almonds, walnuts, and pine nuts in hilly regions.

The Coconut Promotion Scheme will be launched to replace old trees and improve productivity.

Dedicated programs for cashew and cocoa aim to achieve self-reliance and global brand competitiveness by 2030.

The rollout of Bharat-VISTAAR, an AI tool integrating AgriStack portals and ICAR practices for tailored farm advisory, is planned.

Establishment of SHE-Marts will support rural women-led enterprises as community-owned retail outlets.

Programs for Divyangjan: Kaushal Yojana for livelihood opportunities in IT, AVGC, hospitality, and food sectors; Sahara Yojana for assistive devices.

Mental health infrastructure will be expanded: new NIMHANS-2 in North India and upgrades to institutes in Ranchi and Tezpur.

Emergency and trauma care capacities in district hospitals will be strengthened by 50%.

Support for Purvodaya states and the Northeast will be provided through the East Coast Industrial Corridor with a node at Durgapur, five tourism destinations, and 4,000 e-buses.

Development of Buddhist Circuits in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura is planned.

Financial sector reforms will include the creation of a High-Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat, a review of foreign investment rules, and incentives for substantial municipal bond issuances.

Measures to enhance the Ease of Doing Business include expanded investment limits for Persons Resident Outside India (PROI) in listed companies.

The fiscal deficit for FY2025-26 remains at 4.4% of GDP, consistent with the glide path to reduce below 4.5% by 2025-26.