A strong focus on MSMEs, women led enterprises, technology adoption and ease of doing business has emerged as a common thread across industry reactions. Leaders believe these measures will play a critical role in boosting domestic consumption while enhancing India’s export competitiveness.
Sharing his perspective on the Budget’s impact on small businesses and consumer facing enterprises, Tarun Joshi, Founder and CEO of IGP and Join Ventures, said,
"The Union Budget 2026-27 places strong emphasis on strengthening MSMEs, women-led enterprises and ease of doing business are key pillars for India’s domestic and export-led growth. Initiatives such as support for Self-Help Entrepreneur (SHE) Marts, enhanced focus on value addition, and measures to simplify e-commerce exports reflect a clear intent to empower small businesses and artisans. The continued push towards productivity, inclusion and market access will help consumer-facing enterprises participate more meaningfully in India’s growth journey.”
From a startup and supply chain perspective, Anant Goel, Founder and CEO of Handpickd, highlighted the Budget’s emphasis on technology and infrastructure.
"The Union Budget 2026-27 provides a definitive roadmap for a technology-driven economy, prioritizing Bharat-VISTAAR as a catalyst for digitizing the national agricultural value chain. With a ₹12.2 lakh crore infrastructure outlay, the budget builds the foundational trust and logistics required for high-growth startups to scale efficiently. Furthermore, mandating TReDS as the benchmark for MSME liquidity and linking it with GeM addresses critical systemic frictions in the supply chain. This fiscal strategy signals a bold leap in India’s technological advancement, empowering the next generation of digital-first brands to lead the nation's journey toward a Viksit Bharat."
Manufacturing leaders echoed similar optimism. Nikhil Nanda, Founder and Managing Director of JHS Svendgaard Laboratories Ltd., emphasized the Budget’s long term vision for industrial growth.
"The Union Budget reflects a clear ‘Nation First’ vision by strengthening India’s manufacturing foundations while positioning the country firmly within global supply chains. The continued focus on capital expenditure, MSME enablement, and technology-led industrial growth signals a decisive shift from assembly-driven manufacturing to high-value, innovation-led production.
By reinforcing policies that encourage automation, deep-tech adoption, and scale, the Budget empowers Indian enterprises to compete globally rather than merely participate. The aspiration to raise manufacturing’s contribution to GDP to 25% is both timely and necessary, and if executed well, will accelerate India’s journey toward becoming a $1 trillion manufacturing economy and a trusted global production hub."
The Budget’s focus on agriculture and exports has also resonated strongly with industry stakeholders. Vipin Sharma, Executive Director, Elitecon International, noted the importance of fiscal discipline and agri technology integration.
“The Union Budget 2026–27 reinforces India’s focus on fiscal discipline, structural reforms and strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity.
Its emphasis on the new Bharat-VISTAAR initiative is a timely and impactful step. Our agricultural sector will benefit from leveraging AI-enabled advisory systems to support farmers with better insights, reduce risk and improve productivity. This strengthening of our agri and export ecosystem will be beneficial."
Overall, industry leaders believe the Union Budget 2026 successfully balances fiscal prudence with growth oriented reforms. With its emphasis on MSMEs, digital infrastructure, manufacturing scale up and agricultural innovation, the Budget is being seen as a key enabler of India’s journey toward a more resilient, inclusive and globally competitive economy.
