**Executive Summary**
The Minister of State, Shri Harsh Malhotra, hails the Union Budget 2026-27 as a roadmap for Viksit Bharat 2047. The budget emphasizes infrastructure expansion, high-speed rail, and expressways as key growth drivers. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, scheduled for completion by 2027, aims to reduce travel time and enhance logistics efficiency. The announcement was posted on February 6, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Budget Overview:**
* The budget is "for 140 crore Indians," balancing growth with welfare, ambition with prudence, and innovation with inclusivity.
* It is progressive, citizen-centric, and trust-based, emphasizing transparency and ease of living.
* The budget is rooted in Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision for Viksit Bharat.
* **Economic Growth and Development:**
* Over the past decade, the government has tripled the overall budget size while maintaining a lower fiscal deficit.
* Capital expenditure has increased sixfold, and the budget size has tripled since 2014, fueling infrastructure expansion and employment generation.
* India's export performance has reached USD 825 billion, aided by the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
* Gross NPAs in the banking sector are declining, and Foreign Direct Investment is rising.
* Streamlined approvals, single-window systems, and over 300 mobile manufacturing units reinforce the Make in India initiative.
* **Key Budget Focus Areas:**
* **Infrastructure:** Approx. 3 lakh crore allocated for road infrastructure, with seven high-speed rail corridors planned.
* **Education and Skilling:** Development of Five University townships along industrial corridors and ecosystems that integrate academia with industry.
* **Women-led Development:** Ninth consecutive gender-focused budget with provisions for hostels in every district to enhance access to education and employment opportunities for women.
* **Technology:** Focus on Artificial Intelligence to equip India's youth. Short-term modular courses will support professionals and small traders.
* **Healthcare:** Record allocation of approximately ₹1 lakh crore, including ₹10,000 crore for the Biopharma Shakti initiative and training for 1,00,000 allied health professionals.
* **Defense:** Allocation of ₹7.5 lakh crore to reinforce national security and strengthen indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
* **Delhi Initiatives:**
* A ₹24,000 crore Delhi Decongestion Plan to ease traffic, reduce pollution, and improve urban mobility.
* Key road stretches taken over by NHAI to enhance traffic flow.
* Extension of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway (NE-5) for direct connectivity to Delhi and Gurugram with Katra.
* Construction of a Road Tunnel from Dwarka Expressway to Nelson Mandela Marg.
* Environmental sustainability efforts to eliminate landfills at Bhalswa, Ghazipur, and Okhla.
* ₹380 crores allocated for a new water treatment plant in Chandrawal to ensure the vision of “Nal Se Jal” reaches every household in Delhi.
* Budget allocates ₹2,700 crore for railway infrastructure, ₹15 crore for natural calamities, ₹1000 crore for pollution control, and ₹2 crore to support victims of the Anti-Sikh riots.
* **Other Highlights:**
* Ambitious Delhi–Varanasi rail corridor and the redevelopment of 1,000 stations under the Amrit Bharat initiative to transform rail travel.
* Flagship schemes like Ayushman Bharat continue to expand.
* PM Vaya Vandana Yojna underscores the government's commitment to senior citizens.
* Government's focus on affordable education, affordable healthcare, and an affordable ease of living.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Citizens (140 crore)**
* **Impact:** The budget aims to balance growth with welfare, with a focus on inclusivity. It aims to improve the quality of life through affordable education, healthcare, and ease of living.
* **Action Required:** No direct action required; benefit from improved infrastructure, healthcare, education, and economic opportunities.
**Indian Youth**
* **Impact:** Focus on Artificial Intelligence and skilling aims to equip youth with future-ready capabilities and make them globally competitive.
* **Action Required:** Take advantage of short-term modular courses to enhance skills.
**Delhi Residents**
* **Impact:** The Delhi Decongestion Plan aims to improve traffic flow, reduce pollution, and enhance urban mobility. Initiatives such as the water treatment plant and infrastructure projects aim to improve living conditions.
* **Action Required:** Benefit from improved traffic conditions, cleaner environment, and better access to resources like water.
**Women**
* **Impact:** The ninth consecutive gender-focused budget aims to enhance access to education and employment opportunities.
* **Action Required:** Utilize enhanced educational and employment opportunities.
**Healthcare Professionals**
* **Impact:** Increased funding for healthcare and training programs to improve healthcare infrastructure and services.
* **Action Required:** Participate in training programs to enhance skills and contribute to improved healthcare.
Key Entities Referenced
Union Budget 2026-27: Central government budget being discussed as a roadmap for Viksit Bharat 2047.
Viksit Bharat 2047: Government's vision for India to become a fully developed nation by 2047.
Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: Landmark infrastructure project reducing travel time between Delhi and Mumbai.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat: Initiative to boost domestic production and reduce reliance on imports.
Delhi: Several initiatives and investments are focused on Delhi's infrastructure and environmental sustainability.
Ministry of Finance
Minister of State, Shri Harsh Malhotra hails Union
Budget 2026-27 as a Roadmap for Viksit Bharat
2047
MoS emphasises infrastructure expansion, high-speed rail,
and expressways as key growth drivers
A “Budget for 140 crore Indians”—one that balances growth
with welfare, ambition with prudence and innovation with
inclusivity: MoS
Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, scheduled for completion by
2027 to reduce travel time from 33 hours to just 12 hours
enhancing logistics efficiency and economic integration
Posted On: 06 FEB 2026 6:31PM by PIB Delhi
Addressing media on the Union Budget 2026-27, the Minister of State for Ministry of Corporate Affairs
and the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Shri Harsh Malhotra cited the first budget presented
from the newly inaugurated Kartavya Bhawan, to be a historic milestone in India’s journey towards
becoming a fully developed nation by 2047.
The Minister stated that the budget is rooted firmly in the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s visionary
roadmap for Viksit Bharat and lays the foundation for a resilient, inclusive and future-ready economy. Shri
Malhotra further lauded the Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, to be the first finance Minister to
present the ninth consecutive budget of the nation reflecting continuity, stability and bold reforms to
ensure that the aspirations of 140 crore Indians translate into meaningful growth and prosperity.The Minister highlighted the three core duties (Kartavya) to be the guiding lights of the Budget. The duties
entail enhancing productivity with competitiveness, accelerating skill development, and ensuring equitable
participation across communities and sectors.
Shri Malhotra stated that the Union Budget 2026 is progressive, citizen-centric, and trust-based,
emphasizing transparency and ease of living. He underscored the fact that over the past decade, the
government has tripled the overall budget size while maintaining a lower fiscal deficit, demonstrating
prudent financial management alongside ambitious development goals. Further, he cited a sixfold increase
in capital expenditure and increased budget size by three times since 2014, fuelling infrastructure
expansion, employment generation, and long-term economic productivity.
Shri Malhotra further stated that India’s export performance has reached an impressive USD 825 billion,
highlighting the steadily advancing defense production under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Significantly declining Gross NPAs in the banking sector, and continued rising Foreign Direct Investment,
were cited by him, reflecting strong global confidence in India’s economic fundamentals. The streamlined
approvals with establishment of single-window systems across 32 central departments and majority of
states, improved ease of doing business, over 300 mobile manufacturing units further reinforce the success
of the Make in India initiative and position India as a global manufacturing hub, the Minister said.
Shri Malhotra stated that education and skilling remain central pillars of this budget, with the
government’s announcement of the development of Five University townships along industrial corridors
and the creation of ecosystems that integrate academia with industry. Recognizing the power of women-
led development, the government has presented its ninth consecutive gender-focused budget, with
provisions for hostels in every district to enhance access to education and employment opportunities for
women, Shri Malhotra said.
The Minister stated that focus would be on Artificial Intelligence to equip India’s youth with future-ready
capabilities. Short-term modular courses will support professionals, small traders and underemployed
individuals, keeping the workforce skilled and globally competitive. Highlighting a major boost that the
Healthcare has received with a record allocation of approximately ₹1 lakh crore, the Minster said that the
₹10,000 crore earmarked for the Biopharma Shakti initiative shall strengthen innovation and self-reliance
in medical technologies. Additionally, 1,00,000 allied health professionals to be trained and three AIIMS-Ayurveda institutions and five integrated medical hubs announced, reflects a holistic approach. Flagship
schemes like Ayushman Bharat continue to expand, benefitting lakhs of families in Delhi, while PM Vaya
Vandana Yojna underscores the government’s commitment to senior citizens.
The Minister highlighted Infrastructure as the backbone of this budget. With approx. ₹3 lakh crore
allocated for road infrastructure and seven high-speed rail corridors planned, India is set to witness
unprecedented connectivity. He cited the ambitious Delhi–Varanasi rail corridor and the redevelopment of
1,000 stations under the Amrit Bharat initiative to transform rail travel. Further, Defense with allocation of
a robust ₹7.5 lakh crore, reinforces India’s commitment to national security while strengthening
indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
Shri Malhotra stated that a landmark project, the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, scheduled for completion by
2027 will reduce travel time from 33 hours to just 12 hours—dramatically enhancing logistics efficiency
and economic integration.
Shri Malhotra highlighted the initiatives for Delhi and stated that the Government, previously, has
announced an outlay of approximately ₹24,000 crore for a comprehensive Delhi Decongestion Plan aimed
at easing traffic, reducing vehicular pollution, and improving urban mobility. Further, Key road stretches
—including Ashram to Badarpur, Punjabi Bagh to Tikri Border, and the Mehrauli-Gurugram stretch—
which have been taken over by NHAI will significantly enhance traffic flow. The three stretches -Mathura
Road from Ashram to Badarpur Border, Old Delhi- Rohtak Road -- Punjabi Bagh to Tikri Border, and
Mehrauli-Gurugram Road -- Mehrauli to Gurugram city, totalling a total 33 km serve are the critical links
between Delhi and neighbouring areas, the Minister said.
Shri Malhotra stated that the Delhi Decongestion Plan primarily focusses on Extension of Delhi-Amritsar-
Katra Expressway (NE-5) from KMPE till UER-II (NH-344M) in Delhi and Haryana would provide
Direct Connectivity link to Delhi and Gurugram with Katra through UER-II & Dwarka Expressway,
Extension of UER-II (NH-344M) near Alipur till Delhi-Dehradun Expressway (NH-709B) near Tronica
City in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. This will also act as bypass to NH-44/Delhi Outer/Inner Ring Road as the
traffic destined to move to North/North-West/West/South-West Delhi & Gurugram may travel through
UER-II & Dwarka Expressway to reach the destination, construction of a Road Tunnel starting from
Dwarka Expressway (near Shiv Murti Mahipalpur) to Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj in the State of
Delhi which will facilitate easy flow of traffic from Dwarka Expressway to Nelson Mandela Marg.
Shri Malhotra stressed that Environmental sustainability for Delhi is another priority. He cited the
government commitment towards eliminating the three major landfills at Bhalswa, Ghazipur, and Okhla.
Legacy and current waste will be segregated for commercial use under the Prime Minister’s Waste to
Wealth vision. Inert waste has already been utilized in road construction projects such as UER-II and the
Dwarka Expressway, demonstrating innovative resource management. Further, a new water treatment
plant in Chandrawal for which approx 380 crores have been allocated will ensure that the vision of “Nal
Se Jal” reaches every household in Delhi. The budget allocates ₹2,700 crore for railway infrastructure in
the capital, ₹15 crore natural calamities and approx. ₹1000 crore for pollution control and ₹2 crore to
support victims of the Anti-Sikh riots—reflecting a compassionate and inclusive governance approach, the
Minister highlighted.
Shri Malhotra said that the government’s focus on affordable education, affordable healthcare, and an
affordable ease of living reinforces its commitment to improving the quality of life for every citizen.
The Minister said that this is truly a “Budget for 140 crore Indians”—one that balances growth with
welfare, ambition with prudence and innovation with inclusivity. By strengthening aspirational sectors,
boosting infrastructure and empowering citizens, the Union Budget 2026 accelerates India’s journey from
Local to Global leadership.Shri Malhotra concludingly remarked that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra
Modi and the steady, reform-oriented guidance of Finance Minister, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, India is
moving ahead at an unprecedented pace. Further he said that this budget is not merely an annual financial
statement—it is the architectural blueprint of a developed India. With sustained reforms, strategic
investments, and unwavering commitment to national progress, the dream of Viksit Bharat 2047 is no
longer distant—it is decisively within reach.
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