Jan 22: With the Union Budget 2026 approaching, India stands at a critical inflection point in its economic journey. Technology and infrastructure leaders are urging policymakers to shift focus from volume-led growth to innovation-driven global leadership, underscoring the need for stronger investments in deep technology, artificial intelligence (AI), research and development (R&D), and resilient energy infrastructure. Industry experts believe that India’s next phase of growth will be defined by cutting-edge technology capabilities, robust power systems, and future-ready digital infrastructure.
Nandagopal P, CEO, Asymmetri; CTO, Gacsym Ventures; and Limited Partner, Arya Ventures
Nandagopal P is a technology entrepreneur and venture builder with deep experience in scaling software-led platforms and advising early- and growth-stage companies on technology strategy. Through his leadership roles across startups and venture ecosystems, he works closely with founders on building globally competitive, innovation-driven technology businesses.
Mr Nandagopal P said, “India is approaching Budget 2026 at a stage where its vast digital scale must now evolve into true global digital leadership. Over the last decade, we’ve built remarkable digital public infrastructure, but global competitiveness will be decided by depth of compute, AI capability, R&D, cybersecurity, and talent. This Budget is a defining moment to move from a ‘Digital Economy 1.0’ driven by access and scale, to a ‘Digital Economy 2.0’ driven by innovation, deep tech, and sovereign digital capacity.
The approval of the ₹1 lakh crore RDI Scheme is a bold and timely step, but capital alone will not create global technology leaders. Budget 2026 must provide the policy backbone, stronger R&D tax incentives, clear IP commercialisation pathways, and support for deep-tech venture funding, so that innovation can move faster from lab to market. For founders and technology leaders, what matters most is an environment where building world-class products in AI, quantum technologies, data, cloud, and frontier tech is globally competitive.
If Budget 2026 gets this right, India can shift from being a large digital market to becoming a true digital superpower, exporting not just services and platforms, but breakthrough technologies that shape the global economy.”
Chanakya Bellam, Board Member, AION-Tech Solutions Ltd.
AION-Tech Solutions is a technology-driven company focused on AI, full-stack digital platforms, business intelligence, and cloud-based solutions. The company works at the intersection of data, digital infrastructure, and scalable enterprise technology to enable future-ready digital transformation.
Mr. Bellam said, “As India prepares its Union Budget for 2026–27, AION-Tech Solutions urges policymakers to place future-ready technologies at the center of national economic planning. Strategic investments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, full-stack digital platforms, business intelligence (BI), and cloud infrastructure will be critical for sustained economic growth, job creation, and global competitiveness.In 2026, AI is no longer an emerging technology—it is a core driver across sectors, from agriculture and healthcare to manufacturing and education. Full-stack development enables scalable digital solutions, BI transforms data into actionable insights, and cloud storage provides the secure, resilient backbone needed to support India’s expanding digital economy.To fully realize this potential, proactive governance is essential, including R&D incentives for AI and digital startups, stronger public-private partnerships to deploy data-driven solutions in governance, large-scale skill development across AI, data, full-stack, and cloud technologies, and responsible frameworks that balance innovation with ethics, privacy, and security. With the right budgetary support, India can lead the global AI- and data-driven transformation, fostering inclusive growth, high-value jobs, and a resilient digital economy by 2026 and beyond.”
Raj Kumar Medimi, Executive Director, Trinity Cleantech
Trinity Cleantech is an energy-focused company working across power transmission, distribution, and electrical infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on efficiency, quality, and domestic manufacturing. The company plays a key role in strengthening India’s power ecosystem through modern, high-performance electrical solutions.
Mr. Medimi said, “As India accelerates its journey toward becoming a $5 trillion economy, the upcoming Union Budget presents a critical opportunity to strengthen the country’s power and energy infrastructure at the grassroots level. We expect the Budget to place sharper emphasis on transmission and distribution (T&D) upgrades, reduction of technical losses, and large-scale modernization of transformers and substations, which form the backbone of reliable power delivery. For domestic manufacturers, policy continuity through schemes like PLI, coupled with stricter quality benchmarks and stronger enforcement against sub-standard imports, will be key to creating a level playing field. Incentivizing high-efficiency, low-loss transformers and supporting indigenously manufactured electrical equipment can significantly reduce long-term system costs for DISCOMs. Additionally, improved access to working capital for MSMEs, faster tendering cycles, and timely payments will go a long way in strengthening India’s electrical manufacturing ecosystem. A Budget that balances infrastructure expansion with quality, efficiency, and domestic manufacturing will not only support energy security but also enable sustainable and inclusive growth.”
Industry leaders collectively emphasised that Budget 2026 must take a holistic approach, combining deep-tech innovation, AI-led growth, skilled talent development, and robust energy infrastructure, to position India as a globally competitive, innovation-led economy in the years ahead.