Budget 2026: Industry voices call for a Macro-Reset from FM Sitharaman

As India counts down to February 1, the tech sector's 2026 budget expectations have transcended mere fiscal relief. The prevailing sentiment among industry captains is a call for a definitive 'Macro-Reset.' They are urging FM Sitharaman to move the nation from a service-provider mode to a sovereign, product-developer mode that anchors the USD 30 trillion vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. 

The tech and industrial sectors have pivoted from seeking "survival sops" to demanding a "sovereign roadmap." Thekey budget expectation of the industry this year is a fundamental shift in India's economic identity: moving from a service-provider mode to a high-value, product-developer mode.

With the USD 7 trillion economy goal and "Viksit Bharat 2047" as the backdrop, industry experts across AI, electronics, and EVs are unified in one belief, 2026 must be the year of structural and execution-led growth.

The macro pivot: From services to sovereign products

The most profound key budget expectation of the industry is the transition toward an IP-led economy. Leaders argue that India’s success in tech startups has yet to translate into a dominant global product footprint.

Ankush Tiwari, CEO and Co-Founder of pi-labs, highlights this as the single most transformative theme:

“The macro-level theme that I expect Finance Minister to bless the economy with is a budget that comprehensively moves India from a service-oriented economy to product-focused economy. Unless Indian economy moves from a service-provider mode to product developer mode, India won’t create indigenous design, IP ownership and deployment-ready sovereign security solutions.”

The AI factory & infrastructure sovereignty

For the AI ecosystem, thekey budget expectation of the industry is a shift from "signalling" to "execution." Industry leaders are calling for the 2026 Budget to treat compute as a public utility.

CP Gurnani, Co-founder and Vice Chairman of AIonOS, notes that while intent is clear, execution remains the bottleneck:

“As AI transitions from pilot projects to large-scale deployment, the focus must now shift from declarations of intent to structural and regulatory reforms that enable sustainable growth. Budget 2026 is a timely opportunity to shift India from an AI consumer to a global AI leader by building infrastructure sovereignty.”

The circular economy: "Make it Last in India"

In manufacturing, the narrative is evolving from assembly to "resource multiplication." Thekey budget expectation of the industry here is to move beyond import substitution and focus on value retention.

Subodh Garg, CFO of Cashify, proposes a natural extension of Atma Nirbhar Bharat:

“Electronics is now the third-largest export category, yet imports remain high. The next logical step is to ensure these components stay productive inside India for longer. If devices are systematically repaired and recirculated, India multiplies the return on every supply-chain investment. ‘Make in India. Make it Last in India’ becomes its completion.”

Infrastructure first: EVs and grid intelligence

For the mobility sector, thekey budget expectation of the industry is making India "grid ready" through an infrastructure-first approach.

Akshay Shekhar, Founder and CEO of Kazam, calls for systemic planning:

“The Budget should anchor this by mandating EV-ready norms in building bylaws and city plans... investing in a national ‘Battery Aadhaar’ and peer-to-peer energy trading. If every rupee for EVs is matched by rupees for grid intelligence, it will unlock faster, safer, and more profitable scale-up.”

The Road to 2047

The consensus is clear: thekey budget expectation of the industry for 2026-27 is a "trust-first" regulatory framework paired with business simplification. And, by bridging the "Implementation Gap" and treating data and compute as core growth infrastructure, the upcoming budget can move India from a participant to a long-term architect of the global technology landscape.