NEW DELHI: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her Budget 2026 address outlined six key intervention areas aimed at sustaining economic momentum while strengthening India’s long-term resilience. Presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, she framed the proposals as part of the broader vision of building a “Viksit Bharat” amid global trade pressures and domestic reform transitions.The Budget comes after major structural shifts, including the rollout of Labour Codes and ongoing GST reforms, and at a time when India is navigating external headwinds such as steep US tariffs on Indian goods. Against this backdrop, Sitharaman placed strong emphasis on manufacturing strength, infrastructure expansion and economic security.
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She said the government’s strategy centres on targeted policy support to both sunrise sectors and traditional industries, while ensuring smaller businesses and cities play a bigger role in growth.
Six key intervention areas
Scaling up manufacturing in severalRejuvenating legacy industrial sectorsCreating champion MSMEsDelivering a powerful push for infrastructureEnsuring long-term security and stabilityDeveloping city economic regions