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Wipro CFO Praises Budget's Fiscal Discipline, AI Focus Amid Global Volatility

Wipro's CFO Aparna Iyer has welcomed the Union Budget, praising its achievement of fiscal deficit targets for FY26 despite global volatility. She highlighted the budget's focus on making AI a central driver for sustaining India's economic growth and establishing the country as a global data centre hub. The budget also proposes measures to combine IT and R&D services for tax simplicity and to provide greater tax certainty through Advance Pricing Agreements. Additionally, healthcare industry leaders like Dr. Shravan noted the budget's reinforcement of commitments to medical infrastructure and domestic manufacturing.

Key Points: Wipro CFO Lauds Union Budget's Fiscal Deficit Target, AI Push

  • Meets FY26 fiscal deficit target
  • Positions AI as economic force multiplier
  • Proposes tax breaks for data centres
  • Simplifies tax for IT/R&D services
  • Strengthens healthcare manufacturing
2 min read

Wipro CFO lauds Union Budget for meeting FY26 fiscal deficit targets despite volatile global scenario

Wipro CFO Aparna Iyer commends the Union Budget for meeting FY26 fiscal deficit goals and positioning AI as key to India's economic growth.

"The budget clearly articulates the government's vision to promote the Indian IT services sector as a primary driver of economic growth - Aparna Iyer"

Bengaluru, Feb 1

Aparna Iyer, Chief Financial Officer of Wipro Limited, welcomed the Union Budget, stating that it is commendable for meeting the fiscal deficit targets for the financial year 2026 despite a highly volatile global environment.

In a media statement released on Sunday, she noted that the achievement comes alongside tax rate rationalisation for individuals announced in the previous budget and the GST rate rationalisation carried out during the year.

She said the budget clearly articulates the government's vision to promote the Indian IT services sector as a primary driver of economic growth, with Artificial Intelligence positioned as a key force multiplier.

By identifying AI as central to accelerating and sustaining economic growth, the government has underlined its strategy to position India as an AI-powered economic superpower, Iyer said.

She added that the proposal to provide long-term tax exemption for data centre services offered from India to foreign customers would help establish India as a global data centre hub.

Iyer further stated that proposals such as combining IT services and R&D services into a single category, increasing the threshold limit for safe harbour, and providing a two-year timeline for the conclusion of unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements would offer greater tax certainty and reduce compliance costs for companies operating in the sector.

She also welcomed the government's initiatives aimed at further improving ease of doing business, stating that these reforms would support enterprises across sectors by easing operational challenges and strengthening India's economic growth momentum.

Dr Shravan, Managing Director, BPL Medical Technologies, stated, "The Union Budget 2026-27 reinforces the Government's commitment to strengthening India's healthcare ecosystem through sustained investments in infrastructure, domestic manufacturing and technology-led innovation.

The continued focus on expanding access to diagnostics, critical care and advanced medical technologies is a positive step towards building a resilient and inclusive healthcare system."

Support for manufacturing depth, skill development and improved access in Tier 2, Tier 3 and underserved regions will be critical in advancing the Make in India vision and positioning India as a trusted global hub for high-quality medical technologies, he said.

"We also look forward to continued momentum on earlier healthcare commitments, including the expansion of oncology infrastructure, which will be vital in addressing India's growing cancer burden," he added.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Great to see the budget getting a thumbs up from the corporate sector! 👏 The single category for IT & R&D and the tax certainty measures will really help startups and smaller IT firms. Hope the benefits trickle down to create more jobs.
R
Rohit P
While the IT sector focus is good, I hope the government also allocates serious funds for skilling our youth in AI and data sciences. Becoming an AI superpower needs a strong foundation in education and research, not just tax breaks for big companies.
S
Sarah B
The healthcare part is crucial. Expanding diagnostics and critical care to Tier 2/3 cities is long overdue. If we want a healthy workforce to power this economic growth, we need a robust public health system. Hope the budget walks the talk on this.
V
Vikram M
Fiscal discipline is important, but so is spending on infrastructure and social schemes. Let's see the full budget details. The CFO's view is from a corporate lens, which is valid, but the common man's perspective on inflation and cost of living matters too.
K
Karthik V
Making India a global data centre hub is a brilliant strategic move. With our talent and improving digital infrastructure, we can capture a huge share of this market. This budget seems to be playing the long game. Exciting times ahead for the tech industry!

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