ET Budget Survey: Tell us your wish list

With Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to present the Union Budget for 2026–27 in February, the government is heading into one of its most consequential fiscal exercises yet. This will be Sitharaman’s ninth Budget, delivered at a time when India’s growth has outpaced several global peers even as external risks mount, from geopolitical tensions to higher trade barriers imposed by the US.Against this backdrop, The Economic Times has rolled out its Budget 2026 survey to gauge whether the coming fiscal exercise could mark a turning point for the economy. Readers can take part in the survey here.The run-up to the Budget has already seen intense consultations at the highest levels. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently met economists and sector experts to gather inputs ahead of the fiscal exercise, urging mission-mode reforms across sectors. Also Read: Budget 2026: A top-up on tax reforms can shore up consumer confidenceThe meeting, attended by Sitharaman, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, other Aayog members and leading economists, focused on building global capabilities and deeper integration with international markets.The Prime Minister outlined the broader context shaping Budget 2026, linking it to India’s long-term goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. He underlined that this ambition is no longer confined to policy circles but has become a mass aspiration, visible in changing education choices, consumption patterns and global mobility. That shift, he noted, demands stronger institutions and proactive infrastructure planning to keep pace with an increasingly aspirational society.Economists participating in the pre-Budget discussions highlighted the need to lift productivity and competitiveness across manufacturing and services. Conversations centred on accelerating structural transformation through higher household savings, sustained infrastructure investment and faster adoption of advanced technologies. Artificial intelligence emerged as a key cross-sector productivity enabler, alongside continued scaling up of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure.Also Read: Union Budget 2026: India mulls barriers to cut import dependence, narrow trade gapThe government, in an official release, pointed to the wave of cross-sector reforms undertaken in 2025 and argued that further consolidation in the coming year would help India retain its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies by strengthening economic foundations and opening new avenues of growth.All this unfolds amid a tougher global environment. Budget 2026–27 will be presented with geopolitical uncertainty lingering and a steep 50 percent US tariff impacting Indian shipments. Even so, the government has signalled its intent to push India’s emergence as a global services powerhouse, with a sharper focus on healthcare, education, transport, tourism, professional services and artificial intelligence.