As India prepares for Budget 2026, expectations from policymakers are sharpening across sectors. From education and artificial intelligence to infrastructure, trade, and macroeconomic stability, experts argue that the next budget must balance ambition with restraint. Faculty members from Great Lakes Institute of Management outline where priorities should lie and what risks demand immediate attention.
Education as Economic Infrastructure
India’s education system is no longer just a social investment. It is fast becoming an economic necessity. Dr. Debashis Sanyal, Director, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, believes the education budget must begin recognising learning as core economic infrastructure.
According to Dr. Sanyal, the focus should shift toward preparing students for evolving job roles through flexible curricula, industry-linked programmes, and regional skill ecosystems. He emphasises that funding decisions must reflect India’s scale and diversity, ensuring quality education reaches beyond metropolitan centres without deepening inequality.
Building AI Capability, Not Just Speed
On artificial intelligence, Dr. Debashis Sanyal cautions against viewing AI purely through the lens of rapid deployment. He argues that India’s AI agenda should prioritise building durable capability over short-term acceleration.
He notes that Budget 2026 can play a crucial role in strengthening research ecosystems, fostering deeper academic–industry collaboration, and developing responsible AI frameworks. These steps, he says, are essential to ensure that innovation remains relevant, trusted, and scalable across sectors.
The Case for Continuous Upskilling
Workforce readiness is another area where Dr. Debashis Sanyal sees an urgent need for policy attention. He points out that India’s workforce challenge is increasingly about keeping pace with change rather than meeting initial qualifications.
He advocates for stronger budgetary support for continuous learning models that allow professionals to reskill and upskill alongside work. Greater backing for industry-linked programmes, flexible credentials, and faculty capability, he adds, will help institutions respond faster to shifting skill needs while keeping employability aligned with economic growth.
Growth With Prudence at the Core
From a macroeconomic perspective, Dr. Kirti Sharma, Associate Professor, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon, believes Budget 2026 must walk a careful line between growth and fiscal responsibility.
She notes that fiscal discipline remains critical, as key macroeconomic indicators such as inflation and GDP growth are closely tied to it. Dr. Sharma also highlights that true policy autonomy will be evident if RBI dividend maximisation is driven by structural improvements rather than favourable economic conditions.
Shifting the Infrastructure Focus to Railways
India’s infrastructure push has largely centred on highways, but Dr. Kedar Joshi, Associate Professor, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, argues that the next strategic shift must focus on railways.
According to Dr. Joshi, revitalising rail networks and integrating them with global trade corridors—particularly emerging routes linking India through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Israel to Europe—will be crucial to lowering logistics costs and improving supply chain efficiency. He believes Budget 2026 must prioritise rail modernisation and multimodal connectivity to strengthen India’s position as a global trade hub.
Trade Resilience Under Pressure
On trade and exports, Dr. Vidya Mahambare, Professor, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, warns that recent global developments have exposed structural vulnerabilities.
She points to the US tariff shock as a key concern, noting that the US accounts for nearly one-fifth of India’s goods exports. With frontloading of exports now over and price competitiveness weakening, she cautions that risks to goods exports, the current account deficit, and the rupee have increased. Without lowering production costs and increasing domestic value-added content, she says, India’s trade resilience will remain fragile.
A Common Thread for Budget 2026
Across sectors, the experts share a common message: Budget 2026 must move beyond headline announcements toward structural, long-term solutions. Whether it is education, innovation, infrastructure, or trade, sustained investment and fiscal prudence will be key to building an economy that grows not just faster, but stronger and more resilient.