FIEO applauds Union Budget 2026–27; Thanks Government for a Strong Export-Enabling, Industry-Friendly and MSME-Centric Budget: S C Ralhan, President, FIEO

New Delhi, February 1, 2026: The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) warmly welcomes the Union Budget 2026–27 and compliments the Government for presenting a bold, forward-looking, and reform-oriented Budget that significantly strengthens India’s growth trajectory while decisively enhancing the global competitiveness of Indian exports, manufacturing and MSMEs.
 
Commenting on the Budget, S C Ralhan, President, FIEO, expressed his appreciation to the Hon’ble Finance Minister and the Government for their continued commitment to sustained economic growth, fiscal prudence, infrastructure expansion and trust-based governance. He noted that these measures will further energise the trade and investment ecosystem and provide exporters with a stable and predictable policy environment.
 
“The Union Budget 2026–27 clearly demonstrates the Government’s resolve to translate India’s economic potential into tangible performance. The strong thrust on manufacturing, MSMEs, infrastructure and services—backed by meaningful tax and customs reforms—will enable Indian exporters to integrate more deeply and competitively with global value chains,” Ralhan said.
 
FIEO particularly appreciates the Government’s focused approach towards strengthening domestic manufacturing in high-value and strategic sectors such as electronics, semiconductors, biopharma, textiles, chemicals, aircraft components, construction equipment and rare earth magnets. The proposed revival of 200 legacy industrial clusters, along with multiple sector-specific initiatives, is expected to improve scale, productivity, technology adoption and export preparedness. Industry, Mr Ralhan said, stands ready to actively leverage these initiatives to expand India’s export footprint.

Welcoming the trade facilitation measures, Ralhan noted that duty exemptions on key inputs, extension of export timelines, recognition of trusted exporters and clearance of export cargo from factory premises will significantly reduce transaction costs, improve ease of doing business and enhance supply-chain efficiency. “These reforms will directly strengthen exporter confidence and competitiveness,” he added.
 
The FIEO President also lauded the Government’s strong and well-calibrated support for MSMEs through a three-pronged approach encompassing the ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund, enhancement of the Self-Reliant India Fund, mandatory onboarding of CPSEs on TReDS, and credit guarantee support for invoice discounting. “MSMEs are the backbone of India’s export ecosystem. The Budget’s focus on liquidity support, equity infusion and professional capacity-building will empower MSMEs to scale up, innovate and evolve into global champions,” Ralhan said.
 
FIEO further welcomed the renewed emphasis on the services sector—including IT, medical value tourism, education, design, sports and the care economy—supported by safe harbour provisions and greater tax certainty. These measures, coupled with continued public capital expenditure on logistics corridors, waterways and energy security, will reduce logistics costs and further strengthen India’s position as a global services and manufacturing hub.

Expressing confidence in the Budget’s direction, Ralhan said that the Union Budget 2026–27 lays a robust foundation for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat, balancing growth, inclusion and fiscal discipline. “The Budget sends a strong and positive signal to global markets and reinforces India’s credibility as a reliable, resilient and attractive trade and investment destination. Indian industry and exporters are fully committed to partnering with the Government in maximising the benefits of these initiatives and accelerating export-led growth.”