Industry leaders across India's education technology sector are presenting comprehensive expectations for Budget 2026, positioning education and skilling as fundamental drivers for achieving the nation's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. The collective voice from edtech executives emphasizes treating education as economic infrastructure rather than social expenditure, with calls for substantial policy and financial support.

Digital Infrastructure and Accessibility Focus

Education leaders are prioritizing digital learning infrastructure as a cornerstone for Budget 2026. Dr. Sanjay Salunkhe, Founder of Jaro Education, expects focused support for digital and online education to expand access to credible higher and executive education for working professionals across regions and cities. Anant Bengani, Cofounder and Director of Zell Education, advocates for targeted investments in digital learning infrastructure, inclusive broadband access, and next-generation edtech platforms to ensure quality education reaches learners in both metros and rural districts.

Key infrastructure demands include:

• Enhanced broadband connectivity in underserved areas
• Expansion of digital platforms like DIKSHA and SWAYAM
• Investment in virtual learning environments and AI-enabled assessment tools
• Regional content creation support

Financial Support and Tax Reforms

Industry executives are seeking comprehensive financial reforms to make education more accessible and affordable. Dr. Kamal Chhabra, Founder & CEO of KC GLobEd, asserts the importance of stronger support for personal finance in education and skilling sectors, including tax benefits on professional courses, reduced GST on edtech services, simplified access to education loans, and increased public spending on digital learning infrastructure.

Ayush Kumar, MD of New Delhi Institute of Management, emphasizes making quality higher education more accessible through enhanced education loans, interest subsidies, and tax benefits for students and parents.

AI and Emerging Technology Integration

The global EdTech AI solutions space is expected to reach $80 billion by 2030, according to Ashutosh Upadhyay, Founder of Cognio Labs. Industry leaders are calling for budget allocations focused on AI-enabled student assessment tools, virtual learning environments, and automated content generation systems. Shantanu Rooj, Founder and CEO of TeamLease Edtech, proposes mandating 1% allocation of corporate profits toward workforce upskilling and creating a dedicated national reskilling pool to address AI-led job market disruptions.

Outcome-Based Skilling and Industry Alignment

Leaders emphasize the critical need for outcome-based accountability in education funding. Prateek Shukla, Co-Founder and CEO of Masai, expects Budget 2026 to fund three key aspects: co-investment and tax incentives for industry-academia partnerships, outcome-based accountability where government funding flows to institutions based on results and placement rates rather than enrollment numbers, and funding for platforms that make quality outcome-driven skilling accessible across India.

Suresh Kalpathi, CEO of Veranda Learning Solutions, advocates for treating education and skilling as economic infrastructure, with greater emphasis on employability in emerging fields like AI, data, finance, and green jobs.

Institutional Capacity and Faculty Development

Pravesh Dudani, Founder and Chancellor of Medhavi Skills University, emphasizes that education and skilling must be backed by targeted financial allocations that convert intent into impact. Key areas requiring sustained investment include capacity building of teachers and faculty through continuous upskilling, expanding digital infrastructure, enhancing broadband connectivity, and promoting inclusive EdTech adoption.

Siddharth Banerjee, CEO of Univo Education, believes investment should focus on building skilled talent, accelerating digital transformation, and strengthening institutional capacity to leverage India's large youth dividend. He advocates for a forward-looking budget that embeds AI across the education ecosystem to develop globally competitive institutions and future-ready talent.

Following the Union Budget 2025's sustained focus on climate and sustainability initiatives, Budget 2026 is expected to further accelerate India's transition toward its 2070 Net-Zero commitment. The previous budget included measures advancing clean-tech manufacturing, renewable energy adoption, sustainable agriculture, urban development, nuclear power development, and electric mobility.

Renewable Energy and Storage Infrastructure

Energy transition remains central to India's decarbonisation strategy, with the next phase requiring enhanced focus on storage and transmission solutions. While renewable capacity additions have shown encouraging progress, Budget 2026 is anticipated to deepen support for battery manufacturing and storage scalability.

The government's push for rooftop solar installations received increased funding, and further allocations are expected to support accelerated adoption rates. Potential mechanisms for storage solution incentivisation may include tax benefits, inclusion under PLI schemes, mandated storage requirements, or enhanced financing support.

Climate Finance and Market Mechanisms

The development of sustainable finance frameworks demands heightened attention in the upcoming budget. Key anticipated measures include:

• Climate Finance Taxonomy: Operationalisation to enable credible green finance and reduce greenwashing risks
• Financial Incentives: Support for green, social, and sustainable instruments through preferential capital treatment and concessional interest rates
• ESG Disclosure Norms: Basic requirements for MSMEs and private players to improve market access
• Carbon Market Support: Clear pricing architecture and robust monitoring, reporting, and verification norms

These mechanisms aim to strengthen India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme and support industries in meeting decarbonisation targets.

Critical Minerals and Circular Economy

Resource security through critical minerals represents an emerging strategic priority. The National Critical Mineral Mission saw significant expansion in the previous budget.

Budget 2026 is expected to further accelerate this mission, given the importance of critical minerals and rare earth metals to manufacturing value chains. Circular economy initiatives are anticipated to receive enhanced support through expanded Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks and inter-industry collaboration platforms.

Urban Development and Infrastructure

Climate adaptation measures are expected to receive continued emphasis through urban resilience initiatives.

These allocations support climate adaptation alongside economic growth and water infrastructure development, with continued focus on irrigation and flood mitigation measures.

Technology and Innovation Focus

Technology and innovation remain fundamental to India's climate transition. Early-stage pilots in carbon capture, utilisation and storage, green hydrogen, and alternative fuels demonstrate emerging technology potential. Budget 2026 is expected to continue supporting R&D initiatives, particularly in energy-efficient and low-carbon industrial processes, requiring targeted investment and accelerated commercialisation pathways.