Pre-Budget Quotes - 2026

"NEP 2020 is a well-designed and forward-looking policy that provides India with a clear, coherent framework across schools and higher education. It gets the fundamentals right, from foundational learning and teacher development to multidisciplinary universities, credit mobility, and global integration. The real opportunity in the next Union Budget is to translate this strong policy intent into execution at scale.
In schools, the challenge is capacity and delivery. India still faces an estimated 1 million-plus teacher vacancies, even as the system serves over 250 million students. Bridging this gap will require sustained funding for teacher recruitment, continuous professional training, and digital teaching infrastructure, particularly in early grades where learning outcomes have the highest long-term impact.
In higher education, the distance from NEP’s ambitions is visible in the numbers. Gross Enrolment remains around 28%, well below the 50% target, research spending continues to stay under 1% of GDP, and the number of truly multidisciplinary, globally benchmarked universities remains limited. The next Budget should therefore accelerate implementation,by enabling foreign universities to operate meaningfully in India, strengthening credit transfer and mobility, and supporting the emergence of new-age universities focused on research, technology, and employability. Policy clarity exists; outcomes will now depend on execution, funding, and institutional capacity.”
Nikhil Barshikar, Founder & CEO of Imarticus Learning and Chairman of the Advisory Council at Imarticus School of Finance & Business

“India’s health system has made significant progress in prevention, diagnostics, and treatment. Fertility care now needs to be formally integrated into this framework as part of comprehensive family health planning.
Budget 2026 has an opportunity to enable earlier and more efficient fertility care through practical measures. Integrating fertility screening into preventive health programmes and extending insurance coverage to diagnostics and early stage interventions would allow people to seek care sooner, when treatment is more effective and costs are better controlled.
Access must be matched with quality. National standards for fertility laboratories, structured training for embryologists, and consistent clinical protocols are essential to delivering safe and reliable outcomes across the country.
These are targeted investments with long term returns. Strong fertility care infrastructure supports family formation, demographic stability, and a more resilient healthcare system, making it a logical inclusion in India’s health and economic planning.”
- Abhishek Aggrawal, CEO, Birla Fertility & IVF

“The upcoming Union Budget presents a strong opportunity to accelerate India’s healthcare transformation. We hope to see increased incentives for digital health adoption, AI-driven diagnostics, and advanced medical manufacturing, which can significantly improve accessibility and affordability of quality care. In the dental sector specifically, greater support for AI and digital technologies such as CAD/CAM, 3D printing, and smart diagnostic tools can revolutionize patient outcomes by enabling faster, more precise, and predictable treatments. Encouraging innovation in digital dentistry will strengthen preventive care, enhance clinical efficiency, and make advanced dental solutions more widely available. Supportive policies around these emerging technologies and easier regulatory pathways will help position India as a global leader in tech-enabled healthcare and dental excellence.”  
Sameer Merchant, Managing Director and CEO of Laxmi Dental Limited

 “The upcoming budget is a golden opportunity to fuel India’s journey toward becoming a global talent powerhouse. By deepening the focus on teacher empowerment, we can turn the vision of the National Education Policy into a reality. The future belongs to a nation that invests in its learners today, ensuring every student has the tools to thrive in a digital-first world. As we head into #Budget2026, there’s a lot to feel positive about. The intent around digital learning, AI readiness, skills-embedded education and innovation is clear there, and with over 2 lakh recognised startups, the capacity to execute also exists.”
Nirvaan Birla, Managing Director of Birla Open Minds Education Ltd.