As India prepares for the Union Budget 2026, industry executives across financial services, technology and sustainability sectors are expecting policy measures that strengthen access to formal credit, support inclusive growth, encourage job creation and accelerate green financing, while maintaining fiscal discipline.
Executives said the upcoming budget is likely to focus on improving trust and transparency in lending, deepening financial inclusion in rural and semi-urban areas and supporting sectors that can generate employment and long-term economic resilience.
Rohit Garg, founder and CEO of fintech platform Olyv, said the evolving credit ecosystem requires clearer policy frameworks to ensure responsible lending and consumer protection.
“As India’s credit ecosystem evolves, the focus should be on deepening trust, transparency and access within the formal lending system,” Garg said. He said consistent regulations for digital lending, stronger data infrastructure and greater emphasis on financial literacy could help ensure credit reaches borrowers in a responsible manner.
Garg added that closer collaboration between fintech firms and regulated lenders, while keeping consumer protection at the core, would be important for building a resilient and inclusive financial system.
At the grassroots level, lenders working with underserved communities are looking for continued policy support to sustain inclusive growth.
Aditi Singh, chief strategy officer, Satin Creditcare Network, said expectations from the Union Budget 2026 include a continued balance between fiscal discipline and growth-oriented measures.
“For institutions operating at the grassroots, sustained focus on rural livelihoods, women entrepreneurship and MSME resilience remains critical,” Singh said.
She said higher budgetary support for credit-linked social security programmes, faster transmission of policy rate changes and continued emphasis on housing and clean energy could help deepen last-mile economic participation.
Singh also highlighted the role of non-banking financial companies in expanding access to credit in semi-urban and rural regions. A supportive regulatory environment for NBFCs would enable them to complement banks in delivering responsible lending, she said.
Beyond finance, some industry leaders are calling for greater policy attention to employment generation, particularly as parts of the technology sector face job losses.
Kulpreet S. Sahni, founder and CEO, Chiltier, said there is a case for increased focus on hardware startups in the upcoming budget.
“Hardware-led sectors can create more jobs at a time when software companies are seeing layoffs,” Sahni said. He said the sector supports employment across a wide range of skill levels, including original design engineering and semi-skilled shop floor roles, which are important for a country like India.
Sahni added that stronger support for hardware startups could help reduce over-reliance on university education as the primary route to stable employment and contribute to a more balanced workforce.
Expectations are also building around policy measures to accelerate green finance.
Govind Sankaranarayanan, co-founder and chief operating officer, Ecofy, said there is strong expectation for initiatives that can scale up green lending.
He said the creation of a dedicated green finance institution could help lower borrowing costs through credit guarantees, concessional funding and securitisation support. Targeted incentives for electric mobility, rooftop solar and industrial decarbonisation could also help expand the green credit pipeline, he added.
In the housing segment, industry participants are looking for stability and clarity to support long-term borrowing decisions.
Pramod Kathuria, founder and CEO, Easiloan, said the upcoming Union Budget 2026 is expected to bring greater predictability for residential borrowers.
“Continued infrastructure spending supports housing demand, while homebuyers look for stability in tax provisions and interest-related incentives,” Kathuria said. He added that measures to rationalise deductions and reduce policy uncertainty could strengthen confidence, particularly among first-time and end-use homebuyers.
Executives said a growth-oriented budget that supports consumption, employment, inclusion and sustainability, while maintaining fiscal discipline, would help sustain economic confidence amid global uncertainty.
