With less than two weeks to go for the Union Budget 2026–27, experts from different sectors are sharing their expectations, stressing the need to sustain economic growth while creating large-scale employment opportunities. 

Speaking to IANS, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission CEO Sanjeev Kumar Gupta said the upcoming budget should strongly focus on faster adoption of technology by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Gupta said MSMEs, especially those operating in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, currently contribute around $1.5 trillion to India’s economy and are growing at a rate of nearly 10 per cent.

“If technology adoption is encouraged in a structured manner, this growth rate could rise to as much as 18 per cent,” he stated.

“For this to happen, a clear and supportive policy framework is required, and he expects the central government to announce such measures in the upcoming budget,” Gupta explained.

He further pointed out the need to create digital economy zones in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities across the country.

“This move could help develop nearly 100 new growth engines, boosting regional development and reducing pressure on major metros,” Gupta explained.

Sharing another key expectation from the budget, Gupta said that there are currently around one lakh startups operating in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

He suggested that a dedicated scheme should be introduced to scale this number up to five lakh startups, which would significantly increase employment opportunities across the country.

The Union Budget will be presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 at 11 am.

This will be the first time since 2000 that the Union Budget is presented in Parliament on a Sunday.

Earlier, the 2025 budget was presented on a Saturday, while the 2015 budget under the late Arun Jaitley was also presented on a Saturday.