Budget 2026 Charts Viksit Bharat Path with High-Speed Rail & Tourism Push

She highlighted that the budget focuses on India's cultural heritage, the development of biopharma and medical tourism, and the creation of new tourism corridors across the country.

Speaking to ANI, Sehrawat said, "Today's Budget has been made keeping in mind Viksit Bharat and the country's cultural heritage. The Budget talks about establishing India as a bio-pharma and medical tourism hub. Tourism corridors have been announced. The Budget presents a roadmap for Viksit Bharat."

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, her ninth consecutive Union Budget.

Asserting that the Union Budget 2026-27 is driven by "Yuvashakti" and based on "three kartavyas," Sitharaman proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years as part of the Union Budget.

The Union Budget has outlined a major push for environmentally sustainable passenger transport, proposing the development of seven high-speed rail corridors across key urban and economic centres. These corridors will act as growth connectors, cutting travel time, reducing emissions, and supporting regional development.

The proposed routes include Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri. Together, they will link India's financial hubs, technology centres, manufacturing clusters, and emerging cities through faster, cleaner mobility.

"In order to promote environmentally sustainable passenger systems, we will develop seven high-speed rail corridors between cities as growth connectors, namely Mumbai to Pune, Pune to Hyderabad, Hyderabad to Bengaluru, Hyderabad to Chennai, and Chennai to Bengaluru. Delhi to Varanasi, Varanasi to Siliguri," the FM said.

The Budget also highlighted eco-tourism and nature-based travel. The Finance Minister said, "India has the potential and opportunity to offer world-class trekking and hiking experience." The government will develop sustainable mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Pudigai Malai in the Western Ghats.

- ANI