Deepak verma, Head of Business, Pacecourt
The Khelo India Mission, now extended for a further 10 years, is a much-needed initiative that understands sports as a long-term national infrastructure and not merely an activity that takes place through events. As India readies itself for a long-term sports infrastructure build-out in schools, developments, and public spaces, and as it prepares for the Commonwealth Games in the next decade, the need to shift the focus from short-term build-out to the long-term design of these infrastructure assets is essential. Long-term, standardized, and climate-resilient sports surfaces are critical to ensuring that public investments are channeled into sports infrastructure that remains safe, playable, and functional over a period of high usage. The success of this mission will not only be measured by the number of courts constructed but also by the quality of these courts that can withstand the test of time .
Amit Kumar, Director and CTO of Easebuzz(MSME)
The Government’s 2026 Union Budget prioritises strengthening the MSME ecosystem with measures for liquidity, institutional support and the formalisation of the sector. A ₹10,000 Crore SME Growth Fund will enable MSMEs to expand their operations, improve efficiencies and remain competitive, while nearly 200 legacy industrial clusters will be revived so that traditional manufacturing regions can be revitalised from credit and technology constraints.
The integration of the Government e-Marketplace with the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) is designed to resolve long-standing issues related to delayed payments by improving the visibility of accounts receivable and increasing cash flows to SMEs. The top-up to the Self-Reliant India Fund will provide additional equity support for micro and emerging enterprises, in addition to the credit-based support measures.
Liquidity and credit guarantee support, as well as the introduction of corporate mitras to assist MSMEs in meeting compliance and other operational needs, demonstrate a holistic approach to enterprise development. In the digital and fintech sectors, these reforms represent the increasing importance of having transparent and technology-enabled transaction infrastructure to promote MSME resilience, formalisation and sustainable growth.
Kulpreet Sahni, Founder & CEO, Chiltier
The Budget’s emphasis on semiconductors, rare earth corridors, and industry-driven R&D is a big positive for the hardware and deep tech ecosystem in India. For climate tech and advanced wearables, the ability to tap into domestic components, power electronics, and materials is essential to developing robust and affordable solutions at scale. The emphasis on skills and research centers is equally important. Hardware innovation drives high-quality employment opportunities in design, engineering, and manufacturing, and positions India favorably in the world’s supply chains. This is a great way to encourage founders working on applied technologies with practical applications, and to help India move from assembly to full-stack innovation.
