As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to present the Union Budget 2026-27 on February 1, 2026, at 11 AM, industry leaders from international education, sustainable refractories, sports infrastructure, construction materials, and media deep-tech are calling for focused fiscal support to enhance global competitiveness, sustainability, grassroots access, and innovation-driven growth.

Key expectations include expanded scholarships and financial aid for international education, tax relief and green capex subsidies for sustainable manufacturing, dedicated funding for Tier-2/3 sports facilities, incentives for resource-efficient construction materials, and investments in cloud-based media production platforms to boost exports and value creation.

Piyush Kumar, Regional Director, South Asia, Canada and Latin America (LATAM), IDP Education:

“International education plays a crucial role in building a globally competitive and future-ready workforce. The Union Budget 2026 presents an opportunity to reinforce this by supporting students who are eager to get an international education. As the country prepares for the Budget, we hope to see the government’s continued focus on empowering students to make educational choices irrespective of their financial capabilities. We are seeing a clear rise in aspirations to study at top global universities, with demand coming from all economic strata of society. Better financial support and scholarship options would enable them to access global education without facing any financial constraints. A dedicated policy nudge in this respect will prepare students to pursue international quality education and further improve employability outcomes.”

Ish Mohan Garg, Senior Vice President, Calderys APAC Region:

“Sustainability in budgeting must balance long-term environmental and social goals with financial realities. Union Budget 2026 presents a fundamental opportunity to accelerate India’s green transition through targeted incentives for high-temperature industrial thermal protection. At the Calderys plant in Odisha, we have established India’s largest refractory facility, mainly powered by renewable energy once completed. The plant features zero-effluent discharge, rainwater harvesting, advanced air filters, 33% green cover, and circular manufacturing practices to minimize waste. It sets new benchmarks for refractory production in steel, metallurgy, and casting, reducing ecological impact while advancing Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat decarbonization goals. With India’s growing economy, refractory production plays a vital role in meeting the rising demand in steel, cement, aluminum, petrochemical, and other industries, particularly as infrastructure upgrades will remain among the country’s top priorities in 2026. We expect Budget 2026 to further support global companies investing in India through tax relief (e.g., extended PLI for refractories), green capex subsidies, accelerated depreciation for clean technologies, and GST rebates on sustainable materials. Enhanced FAME-like incentives for carbon credit trading frameworks will drive adoption. With a ₹1 lakh crore+ infrastructure and green push, India can lead global sustainable manufacturing, creating jobs, cutting emissions, and fueling GDP growth.”

Tanvi Lunawat, Director of Operations, Institute of Sports Science and Technology (ISST):

“While funding for sports infrastructure has improved, much of it remains concentrated in major urban hubs. Allocating at least ₹1,000 crore towards Tier-2, Tier-3 and rural centres could democratize access to quality facilities and coaching across India. Many of the country’s finest athletes emerge from non-metro regions, yet lack exposure to high-performance environments. Strengthening district-level academies, community training hubs and regional sports science labs will significantly widen the talent funnel. Such decentralised development is essential if India wants to compete consistently at global events while simultaneously promoting physical literacy, health and participation at the grassroots level.”

Akshat Seth, Managing Director and CEO, BirlaNu:

“As public investment in infrastructure and urban development continues to expand, Budget 2026 presents an opportunity to strengthen not only asset creation but also the systems that support it. The effectiveness of infrastructure spending is closely linked to the availability of reliable construction materials, robust manufacturing capacity and policy stability that supports long-term planning across the value chain. As infrastructure development scales up, the focus must increasingly shift towards responsible construction. Policy measures that promote resource efficiency, circular manufacturing and lower-carbon material adoption can help align infrastructure growth with sustainability and climate objectives. Support for technology modernisation, domestic manufacturing, skilling and efficient logistics will be essential to improving productivity while maintaining quality standards. Continued emphasis on climate and water concerns, urban infrastructure and regional development will contribute to economic resilience and improved quality of life. A policy framework that integrates infrastructure investment with sustainability-led incentives can strengthen India’s construction and manufacturing sectors while ensuring that public spending delivers long-term national value.”

Prashant Pavithran, Co-founder & Head of Sales, IndieVisual:

“India’s media and content ecosystem is at a turning point. While we already deliver large-scale media services to global markets, the next phase of growth lies in building the technology platforms that power content production, management, and distribution at scale. A focused push in the budget towards deep-tech infrastructure in media—spanning cloud-based production, automation, and content operations can help Indian companies move up the value chain. This would not only strengthen our service exports but also unlock a new category of creative and technology-led exports from India.”

These aligned expert views underscore a shared priority for the Union Budget 2026: deliver financial aid and scholarships for international education, green incentives and tax relief for sustainable manufacturing, decentralised funding for sports infrastructure, policy stability for construction materials, and deep-tech support for media innovation collectively advancing India’s goals of global talent mobility, sustainable industrial growth, grassroots sports development, and export-led economic resilience.

Last Updated on: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:27 am by Monisha Angara | Published by: Monisha Angara on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:27 am | News Categories: News