Budget 2026-27: Industry seeks jobs, infrastructure and export push—FICCI survey

India’s corporate sector continues to show confidence in the economy even amid global challenges, as reflected in the Pre-Budget Survey 2026-27 released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).The survey indicates that close to 80 per cent of participants remain positive about the country’s growth outlook, with nearly half projecting economic expansion in the range of 7 to 8 per cent in the next fiscal year. This outlook points to industry’s belief in India’s “medium-term fundamentals despite persistent global uncertainties” and signals alignment with the government’s fiscal consolidation roadmap, reported ANI.With the presentation of the Union Budget nearing, industry representatives have outlined their key macroeconomic expectations, highlighting employment generation, infrastructure expansion and export promotion as priority areas.To strengthen domestic manufacturing, FICCI has proposed setting up a “mega electronics industrial cluster to co-locate OEMs, EMS firms and component suppliers.” The survey also draws attention to defence modernisation, urging the government to “enhance the capital outlay share in defence allocations to 30%” to support advancements in UAVs, AI-enabled capabilities and electronic warfare systems.In the context of rising global trade tensions and changing international regulatory norms, the survey points to the “need for stronger support to exports as a key priority.” Industry respondents have called for smoother customs clearances and improvements in logistics efficiency.Among the specific measures suggested is the rationalisation of customs duties by “converging rate slabs to three levels,” aimed at making the tariff framework simpler and lowering compliance burdens, as quoted by ANI. There is also a demand for increased allocations under the RoDTEP scheme to safeguard export competitiveness in an uncertain global environment.From a regulatory perspective, businesses have stressed the importance of “compliance simplification, digitiSation, and providing tax certainty.” Strengthening dispute resolution mechanisms and managing litigation more effectively are seen as critical steps towards enhancing investor confidence.Taken together, the FICCI survey reflects expectations that the upcoming budget will “balance growth imperatives with fiscal prudence” while advancing reforms to integrate India more firmly into global value chains.