Budget Expectations 2026: Farm Unions Push for Universal MSP, Increased Investment in Agriculture

Ahead of the Union Budget 2026-27, farmers have once again reiterated their demand to cover all agricultural crops under the minimum support price (MSP). Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) National General Secretary Chaudhary Yudhvir Singh said this has always been a key demand of farmers.

Currently, the government sets MSPs for about 22 crops, including 14 Kharif crops, six Rabi crops, and two commercial crops, to support farmer incomes. Sugarcane is covered under a separate mechanism called the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP).

“We welcome the government’s continued focus on strengthening financial security for senior citizens, including the tax reforms supporting retirement savings and long-term financial planning," Rajit Mehta, managing director and chief executive officer, Antara Senior Care, said. A key intervention would be expanding insurance coverage to include long-term care provided through care homes and home-based services, which would significantly improve access. Strengthening reverse mortgage norms to allow up to 80% of property value across city tiers could also enhance financial flexibility for seniors.

In addition, exempting senior care services from GST, or taxing them at healthcare rates, would recognise their role in enabling healthy ageing.

“India’s startup ecosystem has made meaningful progress over the past few years. Across deeptech, advanced manufacturing, climate systems and industrial innovation, founders are building with greater technical depth, ambition and global relevance than ever before," Ankit Kedia, founder and lead investor, Capital-A said

Scaling deeptech and manufacturing businesses requires support through long development cycles involving certification, validation, extended pilots and early deployments, especially in sectors where reliability, safety and trust determine adoption. The Union Budget must reinforce this execution ecosystem through shared testing and certification infrastructure, predictable regulatory pathways, and incentives aligned with longer gestation timelines.

"The Indian solar industry is at the threshold of a quantum leap from 135 GW capacity in 2025 to over 300 GW by 2030, making it the single largest contributor to India's ambitious 500 GW non-fossil fuel energy target. We strongly advocate for an enhanced PLI scheme specifically for polysilicon, ingot, and wafer manufacturing," Prashant Mathur, chief executive officer, Saatvik Green Energy Limited, said.

Beyond PLI support, the industry has sought accelerated depreciation benefits for solar manufacturing equipment—on par with incentives available to solar projects—to improve capital efficiency and project viability, he added. Proposals also include lower corporate tax rates for solar manufacturers and access to priority sector lending at concessional rates, measures that could enhance competitiveness and attract fresh investment.

“Rising household incomes and sustained consumer confidence are driving strong demand for luxury residences across the NCR. As lifestyle expectations evolve, luxury housing is increasingly viewed not as a discretionary purchase but as a long-term investment in quality living. We are expecting an introduction of a streamlined single-window approval system, along with measures to ease regulatory bottlenecks. This can significantly enhance project execution timelines and improve capital efficiency for both developers and homebuyers,” said Payas Agarwal, Director, Great Value Realty.

"To bridge the gap between our digital maturity and our physical reality, we need three strategic pivots: Incentivize 'Human + Machine' Synergies: Tax benefits should move beyond traditional R&D and apply to the creation of high-fidelity brand experiences. Build Innovation Moats: The government must lower the heavy tax and compliance friction on expertise-heavy sectors. A meaningful shift would be to recognize intellectual and brand investment as a capital asset, allowing founders to stop managing operational fatigue and start building Innovation Moats that are globally competitive and defensible. Strengthen the Consumer Wallet: Ultimately, strategy is an academic exercise without disposable income. We need a budget that puts real spending power back into the middle class, allowing them to choose quality over deep discounts and fueling a more resilient, high-margin economy," said Tamanna Khanna Co-founder, Agram Konnect.

"From a wealth management perspective, clear capital gains treatment allows us to channel conversations to where they belong. Asset allocation, risk management and long term goals should drive portfolios, not uncertainty around taxation. India has taken important steps in bringing household savings into financial markets. The next phase is about strengthening trust and staying power. A simplified and predictable approach to capital gains in Budget 2026 would be a strong signal that long term investors remain at the centre of policy thinking," said Harsha Vardhana, Founder & Group CEO, Atom Financial Services.

“Viksit Bharat will be built when education becomes a talent pipeline, not a credential factory. Budget 2026 should support joint industry-academia funding, outcome-based accountability, and scalable digital skilling to drive real employment outcomes,” said Prateek Shukla, Co-Founder & CEO, Masai.

“With global uncertainty set to remain high, improving India’s competitiveness by easing and lowering the cost of doing business will be critical. Clear signalling on customs reform and continuity of last year’s reform agenda would be a strong positive for the economy,” said Rahul Ahluwalia, Founder-Director, Foundation for Economic Development.

Calling water scarcity a growing driver of migration, urban stress and emissions, Amit Banka, Founder and CEO of WeNaturalists, said that the upcoming Budget should treat water as a national priority rather than a state-level issue.

He said India needs large-scale investment in storage, redistribution and interlinking systems to better utilise surplus water and support climate resilience.

"Just like highways connected the country economically, we now need ‘water highways’ to move surplus water to drought-hit regions," he added.

MSMEs in the corporate travel and event management space are expecting the Union Budget to simplify GST input tax credit processes to ease cash flow pressures, said Vinod Kumar Sah, CTO and Co-founder of CoTrav.

He said delays in claiming GST across hotels, transport providers and multiple service partners often lock up working capital, while compliant businesses face higher costs without incentives.

“Greater policy clarity on bundled and multi-vendor billing, which is intrinsic to corporate travel and events, will go a long way in reducing taxation ambiguity and easing compliance burdens for the sector,” Shah stated.

India’s medical aesthetics and advanced skincare segment is looking to the Union Budget to support its integration into the broader healthcare ecosystem, said Amit Shukla, General Manager and Head of Indian Operations at Alma Medical Private Limited.

He said rationalising GST on medical aesthetic devices and consumables, along with greater focus on healthcare infrastructure and clinical training, would help sustain growth as demand expands beyond metros into Tier II and Tier III cities.

“A forward-looking Budget can help ensure that advanced skincare and medical aesthetic solutions remain safe, accessible and aligned with long-term skin health, supporting India’s growing focus on holistic wellness and preventive care,” he added.

MSMEs are expecting the upcoming Budget to build on recent reforms by focusing on GST simplification, deeper credit support and faster technology adoption.

Dinesh Gulati, COO, IndiaMART InterMESH Limited said that the sector is seeking an easier input tax credit structure, quicker refunds and continuity in expanded credit guarantee schemes, particularly for first-time and women entrepreneurs. Support for AI-led digitisation, relief for export-oriented businesses amid global uncertainty, and stronger action on health and environmental concerns are also key expectations.

“Budget 2026 presents the right moment to move from stabilisation to simplification and strengthen MSME growth sustainably,” he added.

As India approaches the Education Budget, artificial intelligence needs to move to the centre of education policy and funding, said Subir Verma, Director, FORE School of Management.

He said the next phase of reforms should focus on AI-enabled learning outcomes, faculty upskilling and curriculum modernisation across disciplines, along with stronger industry-academia collaboration.

“A forward-looking budget embedding AI into the education ecosystem will be critical in building globally competitive institutions and future-ready talent for India’s knowledge economy," he added.

Agri-mechanisation MSMEs are expecting the upcoming Budget to address structural bottlenecks that continue to limit farm mechanisation in India, said Rohit Bajaj, Co-Founder of Balwaan Krishi. He said easier access to institutional credit, interest subvention, faster disbursals and targeted R&D incentives are critical for scaling innovation in Tier II and Tier III markets.

“With the right policy support, innovation-led MSMEs can drive a resilient, modern agri-manufacturing ecosystem and help raise mechanisation levels while strengthening rural livelihoods,” stated Bajaj.

“We remain optimistic that the upcoming budget will further reinforce support for indigenous manufacturers, enhance backend infrastructure, and accelerate investments in research and innovation. Sustained policy focus will be key to positioning India as one of the world’s largest and most trusted producers of high-quality medicines, while ensuring equitable availability across rural, semi-urban, and urban markets," said Vijay Kumar Aggarwal, Founder, Medicef Pharma.

“As we approach the Union Budget 2026, we have a strong expectation that mobility and freight transport will remain at the centre of the country’s growth agenda. Continued investments in rail modernisation, high-capacity corridors, and multimodal integration are critical to improving connectivity, reducing logistics costs, and enabling sustainable urbanisation," said Hari Somalraju, SYSTRA Group India.

Adding that from a broader perspective, a focused push on technology adoption and public-private partnerships can accelerate large-scale implementation and delivery.

"Strengthening multimodal transport planning across urban and intercity networks can unlock inclusive growth, support regional development, and enhance quality of life across cities. A forward-looking Budget that prioritises future-ready mobility infrastructure will be key to positioning India as a globally competitive and sustainable economy,” he added.

"A meaningful policy response that enhances housing affordability will be key to unlocking latent demand across urban and emerging markets. To this end, targeted tax incentives can provide meaningful relief for homebuyers. Particularly, raising the deduction limits on home loan principal and interest can bring significant financial relief, especially for first‑time and middle‑income buyers. Revisiting the benefits linked to affordable housing would help align policy with today’s market realities," said Jason Samuel, Managing Director, House Of Swamiraj.

"We hope the upcoming Union Budget should focus on the health needs of women and children, which are the foundation of a healthy society. Increased investment in maternal and child healthcare, vaccination programmes, and neonatal care is essential to reduce preventable complications. We also urge greater focus on women’s health issues, such as cervical and ovarian cancer, through wider access to screening, HPV vaccination, Pap smear testing, and public awareness initiatives. Support for adolescent health, nutrition, and early diagnosis can createa long-term impact. A woman- and child-centric healthcare budget will ensure timely care, better outcomes, and a healthier future for the nation," said Dr Krishna Prasad Vunnam, Founder & Managing Director, Ankura Hospital for Women & Children.

“As Budget 2026 approaches, housing remains one of the most effective levers for driving inclusive economic growth. Industry and regulatory trends indicate that over 70% of incremental housing demand is now coming from first-time buyers and middle-income families, particularly in the ₹25–60 lakh property segment. The aspiration to own a home is strong, but access to affordable and predictable credit continues to be uneven. Affordability remains another pressure point. RBI and NHB data show that EMIs as a share of household income have steadily increased over the past five years, while property prices in several markets have grown faster than incomes. In this context, targeted tax support can play a meaningful role. For instance, enhancing the current ₹2 lakh deduction on home-loan interest under Section 24(b) to ₹3–4 lakh for first-time buyers could significantly ease monthly cash-flow stress for middle-income households. Such a measure would directly support genuine end-users rather than speculative demand," said Bikash Kumar Mishra, CFO, Easy Home Finance.

"India’s Union Budget is more than a fiscal document it reflects what the state chooses to prevent versus what it repeatedly pays for. Dog bite incidents expose this imbalance clearly. With over 3.5 million reported cases annually likely undercounted—dog bites represent one of India’s most persistent public health and safety costs. Direct medical spending on rabies prophylaxis, emergency wound care, and follow-up treatment averages ₹2,000–₹3,000 per case, translating to nearly ₹8,750 crore annually. Indirect costs such as lost workdays, caregiver burden, school absenteeism, and psychological trauma add another 30–50%, pushing the total economic burden to ₹11,000–₹12,000 crore each year. Despite this, public expenditure remains largely reactive, focused on hospital care rather than prevention. A prevention-first budgetary allocation of ₹1,000–₹1,200 crore less than 10% of current losses—towards education, sterilisation, breeding oversight, and early behaviour intervention could reduce incidents by 20–30%, delivering significant healthcare savings and long-term fiscal returns," said Adnaan Khan, CEO and Founder of K9 School and K9 Healers.

Avaada Group Chairman Vineet Mittal outlines critical Budget 2026 expectations, including zero tax on renewable SPV dividends, GST relief for energy storage (BESS), and duty exemptions for advanced solar manufacturing to drive India’s energy transition.

“As India advances towards its clean energy, manufacturing and green fuels ambitions, the Union Budget 2026–27 is a critical opportunity to remove structural cost distortions and create long-term investment certainty. On direct taxes, we strongly advocate zero income tax on dividends from renewable energy SPVs to their holding companies to enable efficient capital recycling and lower tariffs. Equally important is providing clarity that income earned during the construction period should be treated as capital receipt and reduced from project cost, which will significantly reduce litigation and improve ease of doing business," he said.

Navin Makhija, MD of The Wadhwa Group, outlines his Union Budget 2026 expectations. Key demands include revising the affordable housing price cap, GST rationalization on inputs, and enhanced tax benefits for homebuyers to sustain urban real estate growth.

“As we approach the Union Budget 2026, the sector is entering a phase of Measured Moderation, where stability and sustained demand will depend on supportive policies and easier access to finance. Real estate remains a critical economic multiplier, driving employment, enabling allied industries, and supporting India’s urbanisation story. Building on the direction outlined in the previous Budget—particularly the emphasis on infrastructure-led development—we hope to see stronger measures that directly improve housing affordability for end-users. This includes meaningful enhancements in homebuyer-linked tax benefits, along with a long-overdue revision of the ‘affordable housing’ definition, as current thresholds no longer reflect today’s land and construction costs in urban markets. GST rationalisation on construction inputs and works contracts will also be vital to ease cost pressures and support timely project delivery. Furthermore, for micro-markets across MMR like Thane and the BKC-Kurla growth corridor, continued infrastructure spending can meaningfully improve connectivity, accelerate liveability, and unlock sustainable demand. Ultimately, with greater interest-rate clarity shaping market sentiment and influencing supply decisions, a Budget anchored in policy continuity, simplified compliance, and long-term financing support will go a long way in ensuring predictable and resilient growth for the sector,” he said.