Budget 2026 is around a week from now on February 1, 226 when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will list out her plans to keep India’s economy rolling over the next 12 months and also hope to meet the expectations
of different sectors in the country. The technology industry is likely to keep a keen eye on the proceedings later next week when the government hopes to chart out a roadmap which not only focuses on growth for one year but for years to come.
And keeping that in mind, various stakeholders have shared their expectations from the Budget 2026 briefing as India looks to build on the potential of AI trade, improved cybersecurity and more.
Manufacturing The Main Aim Once Again
“An enhanced PLI 2.0 scheme with Rs 10,000 crore outlay would offer 7-10 percent incentives for localizing advanced 4K/8K panels, laser projection technology, and eye-care monitors, slashing import dependence from 45 percent to under 10 percent while scaling manufacturing capacity,” something that Rajeev Singh, Managing Director, BenQ India and South Asia hopes to see the budget 2026 address.
And the higher localisation means more job prospects in the industry. “A dedicated fund for vocational training in semiconductors, display tech, and assembly lines, potentially partnering with tech brands, would also serve to skill 5 lakh youth annually and create 2 million jobs in the electronics value chain,” as pointed out by Pankaj Rana, CEO, Hisense India.
“Strengthening India’s manufacturing ecosystem through investments in skilling, electronics clusters, and MSME supplier networks will be essential to move up the value chain and reduce import dependence,” further reiterated the expectations by Ravi Agarwal, Co-founder and Managing Director, Cellecor.
AI And Cybersecurity In The Spotlight
Most people would say that AI and cybersecurity go hand-in-hand but the industry seeks a broader range of support and lighter restrictions for open movement and trade between the stakeholders.
“We hope to see continued support for AI research and development, including grants, incentives, and policy measures that encourage enterprises to adopt AI and automation, strengthen efficiencies, and make data-driven decisions,” Srividya Kannan, Founder-CEO Avaali highlighting the evaluating needs from the latest budgets plannings.
“This budget presents an opportunity to move beyond short-term announcements and focus on long-term technology capacity building. It must treat AI, cloud, cybersecurity and deep tech as national digital infrastructure. Strategic allocation for compute capacity, sovereign AI stacks and data centre expansion, paired with robust R and D tax incentives and faster pathways from prototype to product, will unlock the true economic potential of India’s tech base,” Murali Mantravadi, Joint Managing Director of Energy Bots further stressing the need for AI being a heavy focus in this year’s Budget 2026 announcement.
Most of the industry representatives realise the potential for local players to enter the AI and data cloud sector as the technology looks to cement its place for decades. And trade regulations along with taxes need to keep the gates loosened with an eye into the future of the country. “In 2026-27, the question is not whether India can adopt technology. It is whether policy can keep pace with India’s capability.” Mantavadi concludes his notes with a resounding pitch to the government ahead of the big budget day.
