Budget 2026 expectations: Industry leaders urge investment, policy push in edtech and workforce readiness

Budget 2026 expectations: Focus on edtech and education sectors is important for the Indian government's Viksit Bharat 2047 goal, feel industry voices. “We hope to see continued recognition of education as a core driver of long-term economic growth and the Viksit Bharat vision,” Dr Sanjay Salunkhe, Founder, Jaro Education told Mint.

Anant Bengani, Cofounder and Director of Zell Education echoed the sentiment, noting that the Budget can chart a path towards Viksit Bharat by accelerating India's human-capital transformation.

He noted the important of building workforce readiness “through outcome-led skilling, industry-aligned learning, and practical capabilities”, so that India’s young and working population navigates an increasingly competitive, skills-driven job market.

Stronger support for personal finance in the education and skilling sector, tax benefits on professional courses, reduced GST on edtech services, simplifying access to education loans, increased public spending on digital learning infrastructure is important for India to build a skilled workforce, asserts Dr. Kamal Chhabra, Founder & CEO of KC GLobEd.

Edtech sector expectations: Here are the top demands

Ease of access important

Dr Salunkhe expects the Budget to provide focused support for digital and online education which can expand access to credible higher and executive education for working professionals across regions and cities. “A budget that prioritizes inclusion and recognizes edtech as a key contributor to access, quality, and learner outcomes will reinforce confidence in India’s human capital as the foundation for sustained productivity, innovation, and global competitiveness,” he added.

Bengani also expects targeted investments in digital learning infrastructure, inclusive broadband access, and next-generation edtech platforms “to ensure that quality education reaches every learner, whether in metros or rural districts”.

“We expect to see announcements that encourage edtech platforms to expand access, reduce barriers, and deliver transformative learning experiences. Initiatives such as tax incentives, funding for skill‑building initiatives, and infrastructure support for digital education will ensure a supportive environment for growth,” feels Anushika Jain Founder CEO, Globally Recruit, Global Shala and Co-Founder V-Empower Ventures.

Ayush Kumar, MD of New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM) also pointed to the need to make quality higher education more accessible through enhanced education loans, interest subsidies, and tax benefits for students and parents.

Skilling and upskilling initiatives key

According to Bengani, there should also be strong support for skilling and upskilling initiatives aligned with industry needs, particularly in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and advanced digital technologies.

“Strategic budgetary measures that reduce barriers for lifelong learning and foster an industry-ready workforce will be key to bridging the gap between education and employability,” he added.

Siddharth Banerjee, CEO, Univo Education also feels that investment should focus on building skilled talent, accelerating digital transformation, and strengthening institutional capacity to leverage large youth dividend. A “forward-looking budget that embeds AI across the education ecosystem will be critical to developing globally competitive institutions and future-ready talent. Strengthened digital infrastructure will also help online degree programs move firmly into the mainstream,” he feels.

Suresh Kalpathi, the CEO of Veranda Learning Solutions added that the budget should treats education and skilling as economic infrastructure, rather than social expenditure. “A greater emphasis on employability, particularly in new and emerging fields like AI, data, finance, and green jobs, is the need of the hour to ensure learning translates into livelihoods,” he added.

Kalpathi noted that policy backing for blended and hybrid learning models that can deliver quality education at scale beyond urban locations is also critical.

Address AI disruptions with policy support

Shantanu Rooj, Founder and CEO, TeamLease Edtech noted that AI-led disruption has reshaped the job market, and the Budget has opportunity to address these challenges.

He added that the Budget could mandate 1% allocation of corporate profits toward workforce upskilling, and “create a dedicated national reskilling pool without materially burdening businesses”. This would unlock sustained funding to support role transitions and prepare India’s workforce for new-age, AI-enabled jobs, he feels.

Ashutosh Upadhyay, Founder of Cognio Labs noted that the global EdTech AI solutions space expected to reach $80 billion by 2030. He concurred that budget allocations are thus a need.

“Key focus areas should include funding for AI-enabled student assessment tools, virtual learning environments, and automated content generation systems,” he said, adding that incentives can be inroduced to “democratize quality education while creating a future-ready workforce equipped with digital skills.”

‘Targetted financial allocations can convert intent into impact’

According to Pravesh Dudani, Founder and Chancellor of Medhavi Skills University, education and skilling must be backed by targeted financial allocations that convert intent into impact. “Increased funding for academic and digital infrastructure will enable universities to translate innovation into industry-ready solutions, while dedicated fiscal incentives can strengthen the apprenticeship ecosystem and deepen industry participation,” he added.

Arpit Mittal, Founder & CEO at SpeakX.ai believes targeted support for digital public infrastructure, regional content creation, and connectivity in underserved areas will be critical.

Dudani also pointed to other important aspects that require investment: Sustained investment in capacity building of teachers and faculty through continuous upskilling; focus on expanding digital infrastructure through platforms such as DIKSHA and SWAYAM; enhancing broadband connectivity; and promoting inclusive EdTech adoption.

Prateek Shukla, Co-Founder and CEO of Masai expects Budget 2026 to fund three aspects:

• Co-investment and tax incentives for industry-academia partnerships.
• Outcome-based accountability, where government funding flows to institutions based on results, placement rates, salary progression, skill validation and not enrollment numbers.
• Funding for platforms that make quality outcome-driven skilling accessible across India, not concentrated in metros.