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Union Ministers Hail 2026 Budget's Defence Boost & Viksit Bharat Vision

Union Ministers have praised the 2026 Union Budget for its strong focus on national security, allocating Rs 7.85 lakh crore to the defence sector with an emphasis on modernising the armed forces. The budget also aims to lay a foundation for 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, with significant provisions for manufacturing, data centres, and railway infrastructure. Key financial estimates include total expenditure of Rs 53.5 lakh crore and a fiscal deficit target of 4.3% of GDP. Ministers highlighted the budget's role in generating employment and fulfilling public aspirations for a self-reliant and developed India.

Key Points: 2026 Budget: Ministers Praise Defence, Infrastructure & Viksit Bharat

  • Rs 7.85 lakh crore for defence
  • Focus on armed forces modernisation
  • Tax holiday for data centres
  • 7 new high-speed rail corridors
  • Fiscal deficit estimated at 4.3% of GDP
4 min read

Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Ashwini Vaishnaw hail Union Budget 2026

Defence gets Rs 7.85 lakh crore in Union Budget 2026. Ministers Rajnath Singh, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Giriraj Singh laud focus on security, manufacturing, and employment.

"This budget lives up to the sentiments and expectations of the people. - Rajnath Singh"

New DelhI, February 1

Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Ashwini Vaishnaw hailed the Finance Minister Nirmalaraman's Budget speech of 2026 presented in the Parliament on Sunday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the budget strengthens the balance between security, development, and self-reliance, adding that the main focus of the budget was thrust on a series of reforms for the three professional armed forces

"... This budget lives up to the sentiments and expectations of the people. Furthermore, this budget provides a strong foundation for PM Modi's vision of a self-reliant India and a developed India by 2047, with adequate provisions made for the upliftment of all sections of society. This budget allocates Rs 7.85 lakh crore for the defence sector... This budget, following the historic success of Operation Sindoor, has reinforced our resolve to further strengthen the country's defence system.... This year, a provision of Rs 2.19 lakh crore has been made for the overall capital expenditure of our armed forces, and the key focus of this budget is the modernisation of our three armed forces. For this, a provision of Rs 1.85 lakh crore has been made... In short, this budget strengthens the balance between security, development, and self-reliance...," Rajnath Singh said.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said a strong foundation has been laid for the country's all-round development and highlighted the importance of data centres as a significant driver of future growth.

"I would like to thank the PM and Finance Minister. A strong foundation has been laid for the all-round development of the country and for Viksit Bharat. I would like to thank them for this. In the Budget today, there was a great focus on manufacturing. Be it electronics manufacturing or semiconductor manufacturing or IT services - there has been a great simplification...In the time to come, data centres will emerge as a huge power for the country. It opens the path to new services for the world and new employment and entrepreneurship for India. So, I thank PM and FM for the tax holiday on data centres. 20 lakh new employment opprtunities will be generated in orange economy - creators economy...For the railway, there are 7 new high-speed corridors, and a southern triangle of Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad will be formed...A new dedicated freight corridor has also been announced..."

Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "... Modi's infrastructure budget used to be Rs 1 lakh crore, and today it is Rs 12 lakh crore... During PM Narendra Modi's 10-year tenure, from 2014 to 2025, the textile sector provided employment to 5 crore people. I say this with confidence; let's debate this from the streets to the parliament. Whether it's Rahul Gandhi or anyone else. The UPA government imported only 33 lakh sewing and stitching machines in 10 years. During PM Modi's tenure, 1.25 crore machines have been imported...

As per the Ministry, first 'kartavya' is to accelerate and sustain economic growth, by enhancing productivity and competitiveness, and building resilience to volatile global dynamics, second kartavya is to fulfil aspirations of people and build their capacity, making them strong partners in India's path to prosperity while the hird kartavya, aligned with vision of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, is to ensure that every family, community, region and sector has access to resources, amenities and opportunities for meaningful participation.

The non-debt receipts and the total expenditure are estimated as Rs 36.5 lakh crore and Rs 53.5 lakh crore, respectively. The Centre's net tax receipts are estimated at Rs 28.7 lakh crore.The gross market borrowings are estimated at Rs 17.2 lakh crore, and the net market borrowings from dated securities are estimated at Rs 11.7 lakh crore.

The Revised Estimates of the non-debt receipts are Rs 34 lakh crore, of which the Centre's net tax receipts are Rs 26.7 lakh crore.The Revised Estimate of the total expenditure is Rs 49.6 lakh crore, of which the capital expenditure is about Rs 11 lakh crore.

The fiscal deficit in BE 2026-27 is estimated to be 4.3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).In RE 2025-26, the fiscal deficit has been estimated at par with the BE of 2025-26 at 4.4 per cent of GDP. The debt-to-GDP ratio is estimated to be 55.6 per cent of GDP in BE 2026-27, compared to 56.1 per cent of GDP in RE 2025-26.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The emphasis on data centres and the tax holiday is visionary! This can truly make India a global digital hub. The 20 lakh jobs in the creator economy is exciting for our youth. Hope the benefits reach tier-2 and tier-3 cities as well.
R
Rohit P
Good to see the high-speed rail corridors, especially the Southern triangle. Bengaluru-Hyderabad connectivity is long overdue and will boost the tech corridor massively. But what about the fiscal deficit at 4.3%? Borrowing is still high. Need more clarity on how this debt will be managed.
S
Sarah B
The numbers are impressive, but as an observer, the real test is implementation. The 'kartavya' points sound noble – ensuring every community has access. Hope this isn't just rhetoric and there's a measurable plan to track this all-round development.
K
Karthik V
The boost for electronics and semiconductor manufacturing is crucial for Atmanirbhar Bharat. We need to reduce our dependency on imports. Also, the dedicated freight corridor will ease logistics costs for businesses. A pragmatic budget overall.
M
Meera T
While the ministers are hailing it, I have a respectful criticism. The textile sector claims sound good, but what about the rising cotton prices and GST on yarn hurting small weavers? The budget needs to address the ground realities of our MSMEs, not just big numbers.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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