Author: Neel Achary

Niranjan Kirloskar: Budget 2026 Boosts Infrastructure, Regional Manufacturing, and Industrial Efficiency

Mr. Niranjan Kirloskar, Managing Director,  Fleetguard Filters Private Limited

“Union Budget 2026 clearly signals the government’s intent to anchor growth in infrastructure and manufacturing. With capital expenditure set at ₹12.2 lakh crore for FY 2026–27, industries can expect a strong multiplier effect across capital goods, construction equipment, mobility, and industrial operations. For sectors reliant on heavy machinery, engines, and fleet movement, this translates into higher equipment utilisation and sustained demand for reliable, high-performance filtration and operational solutions. Equally significant is the focus on Tier II and Tier III cities as emerging industrial and logistics hubs. As manufacturing clusters expand beyond metros and supply chains become more efficient, industrial activity will deepen across regions, supporting economic growth while raising standards in operational efficiency, emissions control, and equipment longevity — areas where advanced filtration technology plays a critical role.

From an ease-of-doing-business perspective, procedural tax relief and clearer policy frameworks will reduce compliance friction and accelerate project execution for manufacturers and infrastructure players. The Budget’s emphasis on developing rare earth and critical mineral mining corridors in states like Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu is timely, strengthening domestic supply chains and supporting mining, power, and heavy engineering sectors that depend on robust, high-performance filtration systems. Overall, this Budget moves beyond short-term stimulus to focus on building long-term capacity. By strengthening infrastructure, securing supply chains, and promoting regional growth, it sets the stage for industries to invest in efficiency, reliability, and sustainability, aligning with India’s vision of a resilient, self-reliant, and future-ready economy under the Viksit Bharat agenda.”

Garima Bharadwaj: Budget 2026 Boosts Data Centre Growth, Green Tech, and Make-in-India Manufacturing

By:- Garima Bharadwaj, Co-founder & CTO, Enlite Research

Tech‑stack exemptions for data centres are a pragmatic move, reducing capex by 10–15 % and helping India reach ~4.5 GW capacity sooner, while expanding green‑certified facilities. Broader Budget 2026 measures — including a record ₹12.2 lakh crore infrastructure capex, a ₹40,000 crore electronics components scheme, and a ₹20,000 crore carbon capture push — will accelerate Make‑in‑India manufacturing, smart energy systems, and industrial decarbonisation. Across urban assets, real-time data, automation, and analytics will turn sustainability intent into measurable operational and climate impact.

Union Budget 2026–27 to drive Viksit Bharat 2047 vision with major boost to cooperative dairy sector: Chairman, NDDB

Anand, Feb 02: Dr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) hailed the Union Budget 2026-27 as truly transformative, noting its initiatives to enhance farmers’ incomes, promote entrepreneurship in animal husbandry and dairying and strengthen cooperatives – key steps toward realising the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and fostering inclusive economic growth.

Recognized as the growth engine of agriculture and allied activities providing livelihoods to rural households, the animal husbandry sector has received a significant boost in the Union Budget 2026–27, with an allocation of Rs 6,153.46 crore – up 16% from last year. The Budget also announced a Rs 500 crore Integrated Scheme for Entrepreneurship Development to expand employment through credit-linked subsidies, modernise livestock enterprises, build integrated dairy and poultry value chains and promote Livestock Farmer Producer Organisations, thereby fostering entrepreneurship and rural development.

 The Budget will add 20,000 veterinary professionals and through a loan-linked subsidy scheme, support new veterinary and private colleges, hospitals, labs, and breeding facilities. Targeting India’s 53 crore livestock, including 30 crore dairy animals, the initiative also encourages global collaborations to drive innovation. Dr Meenesh Shah hailed it as a milestone for the sector.

 In addition to the existing provision allowing full deduction of profits and gains for primary cooperative societies engaged in supplying milk, oilseeds, fruits, or vegetables raised by their members, this benefit has now been extended to cattle feed. With primary cooperatives selling about 102 lakh metric tonnes of cattle feed annually, this move will significantly reduce their tax burden, ensuring better returns for farmer members. India’s dairy cooperatives already return over 75% of the consumer rupee to producers, and this initiative will further enhance pay-outs, putting more money directly into farmers’ hands.

Chairman, NDDB welcomed the Budget move allowing inter-cooperative society dividend income as deduction under the new tax regime to the extent it is further distributed to its members, fostering investments in multistate cooperatives under Sahkar se Samriddhi. A three-year exemption on dividend income for notified national cooperative federations on their investments made in companies up to 31.01.2026, if further distributed to its members cooperatives, will further strengthen profitability and enable higher pay-outs to member institutions.

The Centralized Bio-CNG Model turns dairy waste into clean transport fuel and organic fertilizer, advancing circular economy goals. As announced in the Union Budget, the entire value of biogas while calculating the Central Excise duty payable on biogas blended CNG to be excluded which will be a major boost for scaling large Bio-CNG models nationwide, strengthening sustainability and promoting natural farming through organic fertilizer by-products.

In a nutshell, Chairman, NDDB described the Union Budget 2026–27 as one that ticks all the right boxes – providing impetus to agriculture, dairy and allied sectors, improving capital efficiency, reducing tax distortions across cooperatives and thereby boosting farmers’ incomes and employment opportunities.

Post budget quote by R.S Subramanian, SVP, DHL Express India A Landmark Shift Towards a Truly Trust-Based Trade Environment

The trade facilitation measures announced in the Union Budget represent a landmark shift in India’s approach to global commerce. By placing systemic trust and digital integration at the core of reforms, the government has laid a strong foundation for a more resilient, agile, and globally competitive export-import ecosystem.

A key highlight is the transition towards a fully digital, trust-based customs framework. The adoption of AI-enabled scanning, faster clearances, and more predictable regulatory rulings goes beyond improving efficiency—it enhances transparency, reduces uncertainty, and gives businesses the confidence needed for long-term investment and operational planning.

Several measures directly address long-standing challenges in cross-border trade. The removal of value caps on courier exports and the simplification of duty structures significantly ease compliance for MSMEs, e-commerce exporters, and individuals, who have long faced confusion around varied duty rates. These reforms will help expand India’s global trade footprint by removing procedural and value-related constraints.

The introduction of seamless export returns and “Return-to-Origin” processes further reduces risk, cost, and congestion in international trade. This improves shipper confidence, accelerates resolution in non-clearance scenarios, and creates a more business-friendly trading environment.

Equally impactful is the integration of SEZ clearances through ECCS, ICEGATE, and ICES, which strengthens India’s digital trade infrastructure and enables Special Economic Zones to operate in a more frictionless and globally competitive manner. This also sets the stage for streamlined clearances across EOU, IGCRD, MOOWR, and similar schemes via courier channels.

Finally, the strengthening of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) framework through a 30-day deferred duty payment option is a significant boost to working capital efficiency and provides a strong incentive for higher compliance standards.

Taken together, these measures signal a decisive move towards a modern, trust-based, and technology-driven trade ecosystem—reinforcing India’s ambition to emerge as a preferred global trade and logistics hub.