Union Budget 2026–27 pushes technology-driven AI-integrated structural reforms to shape India’s future and lays down a forward-looking roadmap for the next quarter century. Addressing the media in a post-Budget interaction organised by the Ministry of Science & Technology, the Minister said the Budget may take time to be fully appreciated, but it reflects a clear, sequential vision where structural reforms are powered by cutting-edge technologies, and cutting-edge technologies are increasingly driven by AI.
This makes the Budget inherently futuristic and places a responsibility on informed stakeholders, including the media, to communicate its long-term benefits to citizens. Budget’s true impact lies in long-term relief from rising healthcare and living costs, rather than short-term income calculations. Large-scale investment in biopharma, diagnostics, vaccines, and gene-based therapies would significantly reduce the financial burden on families dealing with chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and metabolic disorders.
The country has over 11–12 crore diabetics, nearly 14 crore pre-diabetics, and a rapidly increasing incidence of cancer, with projections touching two million cases annually by 2030. He said affordable drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics, supported by domestic biomanufacturing, would be a major social and economic support, especially for the middle class and vulnerable sections. India has already emerged as a global bio-manufacturing hub, ranking among the top bio-economies globally and within the Indo-Pacific region. The new outlay will further strengthen this position by expanding capabilities in biologics, biosimilars, vaccines, medical devices, and gene-based technologies.