Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh stated that the Union Budget 2026-27 is characterised by moving forward with a focus on developing societal structure through technological change, where AI has been integrated into this structural reform as the foundation for Indian growth through the use of mechanical technology, where science and innovation have become the main elements of the future success of India.

During a post-Budget meeting held by the Ministry of Science and Technology, he said he believes this Budget will be seen as a 20-year plan for the future rather than simply being another financial year and will take time before some of the benefits will be realised. Therefore, he has presented that many people may really see this Budget as moving in the right direction to implement, through a clear sequencing of events, how technology will be used to link the structure of the family to structural reform through the private sector, government services, and increasing use of AI.

Regarding this question about how much benefit to middle class, he felt the Budget was about helping the middle class by providing a functional home and helping alleviate the cost of long-term medical care, rather than immediate income relief, with this long-term cost correction being accomplished through significant taxpayer investment by the federal government, as in a public-private partnership (PPP), to create more jobs, through investments in the biopharmaceutical sector for example, investments in owning, producing and distributing diagnostics/biologics for immunology and other medical therapies using genetic based care to help support the financial burdens of people living with chronic disease (i.e., cancer) and other chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes and metabolic disorders) and provide better access to healthcare for the middle class in a cost effective manner.

The Minister highlighted India's health profile, noting that the country has more than 11-12 crore diabetics, almost 14 crore pre-diabetics and increasing numbers of cancer cases, with projections for annual incidence rates of two million by 2030. He stated that affordable medicines, diagnostics, and vaccines provided by domestic biomanufacturers will give ongoing social and economic support to the middle class and vulnerable groups.

A significant Budget allocation is for ₹10,000 crore as part of its Biopharma Shakti initiative, which aims to increase India's ability to manufacture biologics, biosimilars, vaccines, medical devices and gene-based technologies. Dr Singh stated that India is already a global biomanufacturing hub, among the world's leading bio-economies and among the leading bio-economies in the Indo-Pacific region, and the additional budget would enhance India's position as a pre-eminent producer of biologics.

The Minister described biotechnology as the next industrial driver, comparable to the impact that IT has had on prior generations, and expected that the recent transition of industry will be a bio-revolution, including recycling and regenerative materials, circular economy practices and the development of new advanced life science technologies.

The Budget was also focused on other issue areas such as poor mental health and non-communicable diseases, which have not previously received as much attention. To address the mental health problem, Dr Singh announced that he would be setting up new super speciality institutions for academic and clinical leaders in North India to improve access to mental health care. New institutions provide more access to alternative systems of medicine like Ayurveda, but will also help to integrate them into existing global Medical systems through education and research.

About Energy, the Minister suggested extending the duty-free treatment for all imported nuclear energy plant components until 2035, which would allow greater project efficiency and funding for both domestic and International investment to increase private-sector participation for consumers in the nuclear industry.

Dr Singh noted that Rare Earth corridors and critical minerals would support the clean energy revolution, electronics manufacturing, and other strategic industries, whilst also reducing reliance on imports.

According to Dr Singh, the National Geospatial Mission will be a key reform to support planned urbanisation, infrastructure development and land management as India experiences a high level of rural-urban migration. The mission will be implemented on the PM Gati Shakti platform, via satellites, drones, and other modern mapping technologies, to provide accurate information for planning.

The Union Budget 2026-27 has set aside ₹20,000 crore for the development of Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technologies as part of the overall plan for Industrial Decarbonisation, Circular Economy, Development, and Environmental Sustainability. He reiterated that AI would be deployed in an organised manner to increase agricultural productivity while protecting farmers against unintentional technological failure

Dr Singh stated that the Budget emphasises Inclusion. As such, there will be numerous initiatives aimed at improving access to healthcare services, providing medicines at affordable prices, providing cancer care facilities in each district, encouraging women entrepreneurs and creating livelihoods through science-based approaches

The Secretary Department of Science & Technology  Abhay Karandikar reaffirmed the Government's commitment by stating the Budget demonstrates a consistent commitment to Science Technology Innovation He also committed to building two mega infrastructure research facilities  the  National Large Optical Telescope 30-Metre  and the National Large Solar Telescope near Pangong Lake  both of which will support India's Space Mission and Solar Mission and expand opportunities for International Scientific Cooperation

Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, explained that the Biopharma Shakti Programme is a further initiative to implement the goals outlined in the National Biopharma Mission, aiming to rapidly translate research into manufacture through enhanced cooperation between academia and industry, share resources and create networks for clinical trials and developing vaccines.

The secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, M. Ravichandran, spoke about some of the government initiatives that will be part of the Blue Economy, such as expanding national waterways, coastal tourism, offshore and deep-sea fisheries, and sustainable shipping. The creation of new policies allowing for fishing outside of territorial waters and into the high seas is expected to create new economic opportunities while providing the necessary environmental safeguards.

According to N. Kalaiselvi, CSIR's Director General and Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), CSIR will be a key partner for many of the Budget initiatives, such as carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS); the semiconductor industry; critical minerals; rare earth magnets; clean energy solutions; and advanced manufacturing technologies. As part of this, some CSIR laboratories will be designated as centres of excellence for critical metals and minerals to align national research capacity with industrial and strategic priorities. 

In closing, Dr Jitendra Singh stated that the Budget reflects a mission-driven approach to achieve research, manufacturing, and deployment in an integrated manner. He highlighted that the science-based reforms announced after the Budget demonstrate India’s potential to be a global leader in technology-centric international industries while ensuring inclusive, sustainable, and citizen-focused growth.