Stakeholders from the agri-business sector feel that the proposals in the Union Budget 2026-27 could help boost the global competitiveness of Indian agriculture and boost growth.
Shashi Kant Singh, Partner – Agriculture & Food, Agribusiness, PwC India, said Budget 2026‑27 underscores India’s commitment to enhancing agricultural innovation, improving export competitiveness, and promoting women’s empowerment in agriculture — key pillars of the Viksit Bharat strategy. Focused support for high-value crops, along with special incentives for the fisheries and dairy sector, aims to augment farm incomes while strengthening India’s global agricultural competitiveness and boosting exports.”
Simon Wiebusch, Country Divisional Head, Crop Science Division of Bayer in India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, said the Union Budget 2026 reinforces the shift towards high-value, climate-resilient agriculture anchored in productivity, technology and value chains. This aligns strongly with Bayer’s focus on science-based innovation, sustainable farming practices, and integrated solutions that help small and marginal farmers build resilient, profitable farm systems.
Pulses procurement
Aditya Sesh, Founder and MD, Basiz, said the continued commitment to ensure 100 per cent procurement of pulses at MSP through government agencies is a wise and timely intervention, especially as India transitions from a food security framework to a broader nutritional security agenda, where pulses remain a deficient resource. If execution remains tight, and credit, markets, and digital infrastructure move in sync, agriculture can sustain high growth while generating rural employment and resilience in a volatile global environment.
Vinod Kumar, MD and CEO, National Bulk Handling Corporation Pvt Ltd (NBHC), said it is a forward-looking budget and a step in the right direction to propel India toward becoming the world’s third-largest economy. The real test for the government now lies in effective implementation, which will be crucial to achieving the milestones set forth.
Ramakrishnan M, Managing Director, Primus Partners, said this year’s budget offers steady, measured support for agriculture and allied activities. The emphasis on high-value agriculture and fisheries is a welcome move toward improving productivity and diversifying rural incomes. Targeted support for coconut, cashew, cocoa, and sandalwood, along with orchard rejuvenation and expanded nut cultivation, can strengthen farmer earnings across coastal, North-Eastern, and hilly regions.
Need for collaboration
Prithwi Singh, CEO and Co-founder of Khetika, said farmers are eager to adopt improved practices when supported by training, transparency, and assured market linkages. This Budget reinforces the need for collaborative models in which government, private enterprises, and farmer communities work together to build a resilient, sustainable, and trustworthy food ecosystem for India.
Sandip Patel, MD, Farm Peace Ltd, said the Union Budget 2026-27 reflects a clear long-term vision for India’s economic transformation. For agriculture, the decisive shift toward higher-value processing and export-oriented agri-commodities, backed by infrastructure development, AI-driven agri-services, and capacity building, is a welcome, future-ready approach. The focused push on the blue economy and animal husbandry will significantly strengthen rural incomes and sustainability.
Pinakin Simaria, Head, Agri Business Group, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said there was scope to further strengthen agricultural innovation by possibly allowing weighted tax deductions (up to 200 per cent) on R&D expenditure, or through other interventions to encourage the development of new crop protection and seed technologies.
Continuing reform-led focus
Debarshi Dutta, Co-Founder & CEO, Ayekart, said this Budget sets a clear, outcome-oriented direction for Bharat by aligning technology, capital, and market access to strengthen farmers and MSMEs at scale. The launch of Bharat VISTAAR, integrating AgriStack with AI-enabled advisory, has the potential to support better farm-level decision-making, reduce risk, and improve productivity across diverse agro-ecologies.
Narinder Mittal, President and Managing Director, CNH India, said the Union Budget 2026-27 signals that the next phase of India’s agricultural growth will be driven by productivity and technology-led modernisation with initiatives such as the AI-enabled Bharat-VISTAAR platform, investments in irrigation infrastructure, and support for high-value crops and allied sectors helping farmers improve incomes while accelerating adoption of modern farming practices across rural India.
Bharat Madan, Whole-time Director & CFO, Escorts Kubota, said the Union Budget for FY 2026-27 continues the government’s reform-led focus on improving farm incomes. The emphasis on high-value crops like cashew and initiatives such as Bharat-VISTAAR reflects a push towards more efficient, technology-led farming. This builds on earlier reforms such as GST rationalisation in tractors, which reduced cost friction and improved demand transparency. Together, these measures support wider adoption of mechanisation and data-driven practices as Indian agriculture moves up the value curve.
MK Dhanuka, Chairman of Dhanuka Agritech Ltd, said: “From the industry perspective, there was hope for stronger support towards agri-innovation through enhanced R&D incentives and rationalisation of GST on essential crop-protection products, which are vital for safeguarding crop productivity. These initiatives are in line with our vision of a self-reliant, prosperous, and sustainable agricultural future. We thank the government for these forward-looking decisions that can drive agricultural development and strengthen India’s path towards Aatmanirbhar Krishi.”
Strategic engine of growth
Prateek Rastogi, Co-Founder & CEO, Better Nutrition, said the country spends thousands of crores each year on supplements and healthcare to address problems stemming from poor food quality. The more sustainable solution lies in building nutrition into food itself, starting at the farm. Biofortified crops, supported by better seeds, soil practices, and data-driven farming, can help farmers earn better prices while delivering naturally more nutritious food to consumers without requiring changes in eating habits.
Vivek Gupta, Managing Director of Oswal Pumps, said the Budget 2026-27 positions agriculture as a strategic engine of growth by treating irrigation efficiency, technology adoption, and rural infrastructure as core investments rather than discretionary spending. By aligning fiscal prudence with farmer-centric initiatives, the government is creating the foundation for sustainable income growth, water security, and a resilient, future-ready agricultural sector in India.
Haresh Karamchandani, MD and Group CEO, HyFun Foods, said the Union Budget of 2026-27 emphasises the importance of strengthening India’s logistics base and enhancing India’s competitiveness in exports through a number of initiatives, including the development of national waterways, dedicated freight corridors, and the promotion of coastal cargo movement. The food processing and frozen food (FFPF) sector will require faster, more predictable product movement and improved port connectivity to enable companies to grow exports, reduce discarded product, and bolster resilient cold chains to support supply networks.
Sanjay Kumar, MD & CEO, Rassense Pvt Ltd, said: “We welcome the vision to become a global leader in the services sector by 2047. Having said that, empowering the food services sector to claim the input tax credit would have gone a long way in boosting the confidence, especially of small and mid-size players of a sector that is one of the largest employers and revenue generators of the government on the course of Aatmanirbharta.”
Reform-led roadmap
Rohit Mehrotra, Co-Founder, Organic Tattva, said that initiatives like Bharat Vistar, which are expanding market linkages, are also set to benefit organic farming through better reach, stronger value realisation, and growing support for sustainable practices that safeguard both soil health and farmer incomes. These measures will encourage more farmers to adopt chemical-free, sustainable farming methods, reduce reliance on multiple channels, and improve long-term productivity. This approach is crucial for strengthening rural livelihoods and building a more secure, future-ready agricultural ecosystem in India.
Rajeev Gupta, Joint Managing Director, RSWM Ltd, said the Union Budget 2026-27 presents a decisive, reform-led roadmap for the textile sector, firmly positioning it within India’s strategy to scale manufacturing, reduce import dependencies, and generate employment. The National Fibre Scheme is particularly significant in strengthening self-reliance across natural, man-made and new-age fibres, while mitigating supply-chain vulnerabilities amid global disruptions.
The consolidation of handloom and handicraft interventions, along with the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj Initiative, reinforces inclusive growth by strengthening artisans, weavers and rural enterprises through market access, branding and skilling.
SHE MART
Saroj Kumar Mahapatra, Executive Director, PRADAN, said the initiatives like the rural women-led enterprises programme, built on Lakhpati Didi mission, have the potential to transform women from credit-linked participants into enterprise owners. Involving community self-help groups will enhance the programme’s potential for success.
Chirag Jain, Partner, Agri & Allied offering leader, Food processing industry leader, Grant Thornton Bharat, said the next phase for SHGs is to transform them into entrepreneurs. Initiatives such as SHE MARTs will create new opportunities for women to market their products and increase their share of consumer prices.
Anand Chandra, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Arya.ag, said many women-led groups are already leading the adoption of sustainable, climate-resilient practices. Strengthening them through enterprise support will generate both economic and environmental dividends. The budget lays a strong foundation; execution will depend on how these initiatives reach real farms in real time.
Sanjay Garyali, MD and CEO, Fusion Finance, said initiatives such as She Marts can further strengthen livelihood outcomes by providing rural women entrepreneurs with structured market linkages. When complemented with access to formal credit, such platforms can enable self-help group entrepreneurs to scale their enterprises, improve market access, and build more sustainable income streams.
Published on February 2, 2026
