Articles

The Union Budget 2026-27 includes a range of provisions relevant to India’s science, technology and innovation (STI) ecosystem, with a focus on strengthening research-linked manufacturing, frontier technology domains, scientific infrastructure, skill development and enabling institutional frameworks. The Budget places emphasis on capacity creation, ecosystem development and reduction of critical import dependencies in STI-linked sectors.

The Budget provides for strengthening scientific infrastructure through the setting up and upgradation of four telescope infrastructure facilities, to promote Astrophysics and Astronomy via immersive experiences, 4 Telescope Infrastructure facilities will be set up or upgraded - the National Large Solar Telescope, the National Large Optical infrared Telescope, the Himalayan Chandra Telescope and the COSMOS 2 Planetarium.

These investments are expected to enhance national research capacity in large-scale scientific observation and data generation.

Energy- and materials-related provisions include a ₹20,000 crore Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) scheme, extension of BCD exemptions for nuclear power projects until 2035, and duty exemptions on capital goods used for critical mineral processing, supporting deployment of advanced technologies in energy and materials sectors.

To develop India as a global biopharma manufacturing hub, Biopharma SHAKTI, with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore, has been proposed to strengthen the ecosystem for domestic production of biologics and biosimilars over the next five years. The initiative includes a biopharma-focused network with three new NIPERs, upgradation of seven existing NIPERs, and a network of over 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites.

India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 to be launched to produce equipment and materials, design full-stack Indian IP, and fortify supply chains with focus on industry led research and training centres to develop technology and skilled workforce

Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) was proposed as a multilingual AI tool integrating AgriStack portals and the ICAR package on agricultural practices with AI systems. The initiative aims to enhance farm productivity, enable informed decision-making for farmers and reduce risk through customised advisory support.

For the labour-intensive textile sector, an Integrated Programme with five components was proposed: the National Fibre Scheme for self-reliance in natural, man-made and new-age fibres; the Textile Expansion and Employment Scheme for cluster modernisation and technology upgradation; a National Handloom and Handicraft Programme for weavers and artisans; the Tex-Eco Initiative for sustainable and globally competitive textiles; and Samarth 2.0 for upgrading the textile skilling ecosystem through industry–academia collaboration.

The provision of a girls’ hostel in every district for higher education STEM institutions supports increased participation in science and technology disciplines.

Infrastructure measures with relevance to STI ecosystems include Dedicated Freight Corridors, operationalisation of 20 National Waterways, and a Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme to increase the modal share of inland waterways and coastal shipping from 6 % to 12 % by 2047, supporting logistics efficiency for research and technology-intensive industries.

To promote India as a hub for medical tourism services, a scheme has been proposed to support States in establishing five Regional Medical Hubs in partnership with the private sector. These hubs will function as integrated healthcare complexes with medical, educational and research facilities, including AYUSH centres, Medical Value Tourism Facilitation Centres, and infrastructure for diagnostics, post-care and rehabilitation.

India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector is a growing industry, projected to require 2 million professionals by 2030. Support has been proposed for the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai, to set up AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges.