Budget 2026 Expectations LIVE: Rationalising Bond Taxes Can Drive Household Investment

“The emphasis now should be on creating an environment where Indian D2C brands can build and scale from within the country with confidence. Consistent tax policies, simpler GST compliance, and better access to working capital, along with extending PLI incentives to a wider set of consumer and wellness categories, can encourage brands to invest deeper in local manufacturing, product quality, and supply chains. For ergonomics and wellness brands like ours, this stability allows a sharper focus on thoughtful design and long-term consumer value, while strengthening India’s manufacturing ecosystem and keeping high-quality products accessible for everyday consumers,” said Ganesh Sonawane, Co-founder and CEO of Frido.

The upcoming Budget can accelerate bond adoption by reducing friction and improving liquidity. Key steps include incentivising secondary-market trading, strengthening repo and market-making frameworks, and expanding credit enhancement mechanisms so issuances are not restricted only to top-rated entities. These measures would make bonds more competitive with equities as scalable, long-term investment options," said Nikhil Aggarwal, Founder & Group CEO, Grip Invest.

Adding that a recent report by Niti Aayog on Deepening the Bond Market clearly identifies tax asymmetries such as slab-rate taxation of interest, TDS inefficiencies and unfavourable capital-gains treatment as major deterrents to long-term bond investing.

"Rationalising these, especially for long-tenor listed bonds and retail-focused fixed-income products, would materially improve household participation," he noted.

“We also expect the forthcoming Budget to strengthen insurance coverage and wellness provisions to include long-term preventive care, while accelerating investments in digital health infrastructure and community-based clinics. Such measures can bridge access gaps in Tier-2, Tier-3, and semi-urban regions. Keeping affordability at the core, through targeted tax incentives, employer-led wellness programs, and robust public-private partnerships, will be critical to reducing out-of-pocket expenses and ensuring sustainable, inclusive healthcare growth for India,” said Dr. Mukesh Batra, Founder-Chairman Emeritus, Dr Batra’s Healthcare.

"On the outbound tourism front, the current tax and regulatory framework continues to challenge organized travel players. High GST on tour packages and a 20% TCS on overseas tour programs have materially increased travel costs for consumers. The upfront collection of TCS impacts cash flows, complicates pricing, and discourages advance bookings, while diverting demand toward unorganised or offshore channels. Additionally, foreign spending caps and compliance complexities under the LRS further constrain seamless outbound travel," said Wilfred Selvaraj, Managing Director LGT Holidays.

"Extending and strengthening PLI schemes, along with manufacturing-linked incentives, will further expand production capacity and generate high quality employment across the country. For pharma MSMEs, the true backbone of grassroots innovation, targeted Budgetary support for R&D infrastructure, quality systems, and regulatory compliance will be essential to meet revised Schedule M requirements and succeed in stringent global audits such as USFDA and EMA," said Nikkhil K. Masurkar, CEO, ENTOD Pharmaceuticals.

"The recent GST reforms, such as simplified rates and a reduction in rates for construction materials, would help in reducing costs and making it more transparent, instilling investor confidence. Combined with other proposed measures such as RERA, development of infrastructure, online land record management, and sustainability norms, this sector shall finally witness more organization and professionalism. The upcoming budget looks forward to fixing boundaries for affordable housing, home loan tax deductions, GST reforms, and sectoral recognition, further kick-starting this sector in the year 2026," said Abhishek Raj, Founder and CEO, Jenika Ventures.

"Rationalization of the GST rates on the necessity-based home and kitchen appliances would help improve affordability and accelerate the entry into Tier 2 & Tier 3 markets. In the manufacturing areas, continued focus on PLI schemes and reduced import duties for key components and raw materials would help domestic manufacturing scale up. The industry also awaits increased incentives for R&D in innovative new products, including AI and IoT solutions in the area of energy efficiency and sustainability," said Tushar Gupta, Director of Operations, Thermocool Home Appliances Ltd.

“Budget 2026 presents an opportunity to support newer computing models that move beyond device-bound performance. Policy measures that encourage cloud-native operating systems can help redefine access to productivity tools. From our perspective, enabling these models can unlock flexibility, improve resource efficiency, and reduce dependency on rigid legacy systems. A budget that supports cloud-integrated computing will accelerate the transition toward more adaptive and future-ready digital ecosystems,” said Chitranshu Mahant, CEO and Co-Founder, Primebook India.

"Budget 2026-27 is expected to begin the countdown for Bharat’s $1 trillion product and services export dream. The mission recently received timely Cabinet approval in November 2025, with an outlay allocation of Rs. 25,060 Crore ($2.774 billion) for FY26 to FY31. It aims to strengthen export-led growth through a strategic shift from multiple fragmented schemes to a single, outcome-based, adaptive mission that responds swiftly to trade challenges and evolving exporter needs amid global tariff wars," said Abhijeet Sinha , Principal Adviser - SEPC, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.