Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Ashwini Vaishnaw hail Union Budget 2026

New DelhI [India], February 1 (ANI): Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Ashwini Vaishnaw hailed the Finance Minister Nirmalaraman's Budget speech of 2026 presented in the Parliament on Sunday.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the budget strengthens the balance between security, development, and self-reliance, adding that the main focus of the budget was thrust on a series of reforms for the three professional armed forces
"... This budget lives up to the sentiments and expectations of the people. Furthermore, this budget provides a strong foundation for PM Modi's vision of a self-reliant India and a developed India by 2047, with adequate provisions made for the upliftment of all sections of society. This budget allocates Rs 7.85 lakh crore for the defence sector... This budget, following the historic success of Operation Sindoor, has reinforced our resolve to further strengthen the country's defence system.... This year, a provision of Rs 2.19 lakh crore has been made for the overall capital expenditure of our armed forces, and the key focus of this budget is the modernisation of our three armed forces. For this, a provision of Rs 1.85 lakh crore has been made... In short, this budget strengthens the balance between security, development, and self-reliance...," Rajnath Singh said.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said a strong foundation has been laid for the country's all-round development and highlighted the importance of data centres as a significant driver of future growth.
"I would like to thank the PM and Finance Minister. A strong foundation has been laid for the all-round development of the country and for Viksit Bharat. I would like to thank them for this. In the Budget today, there was a great focus on manufacturing. Be it electronics manufacturing or semiconductor manufacturing or IT services - there has been a great simplification...In the time to come, data centres will emerge as a huge power for the country. It opens the path to new services for the world and new employment and entrepreneurship for India. So, I thank PM and FM for the tax holiday on data centres. 20 lakh new employment opprtunities will be generated in orange economy - creators economy...For the railway, there are 7 new high-speed corridors, and a southern triangle of Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad will be formed...A new dedicated freight corridor has also been announced..."
Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "... Modi's infrastructure budget used to be Rs 1 lakh crore, and today it is Rs 12 lakh crore... During PM Narendra Modi's 10-year tenure, from 2014 to 2025, the textile sector provided employment to 5 crore people. I say this with confidence; let's debate this from the streets to the parliament. Whether it's Rahul Gandhi or anyone else. The UPA government imported only 33 lakh sewing and stitching machines in 10 years. During PM Modi's tenure, 1.25 crore machines have been imported...
As per the Ministry, first 'kartavya' is to accelerate and sustain economic growth, by enhancing productivity and competitiveness, and building resilience to volatile global dynamics, second kartavya is to fulfil aspirations of people and build their capacity, making them strong partners in India's path to prosperity while the hird kartavya, aligned with vision of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, is to ensure that every family, community, region and sector has access to resources, amenities and opportunities for meaningful participation.
The non-debt receipts and the total expenditure are estimated as Rs 36.5 lakh crore and Rs 53.5 lakh crore, respectively. The Centre's net tax receipts are estimated at Rs 28.7 lakh crore.The gross market borrowings are estimated at Rs 17.2 lakh crore, and the net market borrowings from dated securities are estimated at Rs 11.7 lakh crore.
The Revised Estimates of the non-debt receipts are Rs 34 lakh crore, of which the Centre's net tax receipts are Rs 26.7 lakh crore.The Revised Estimate of the total expenditure is Rs 49.6 lakh crore, of which the capital expenditure is about Rs 11 lakh crore.
The fiscal deficit in BE 2026-27 is estimated to be 4.3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).In RE 2025-26, the fiscal deficit has been estimated at par with the BE of 2025-26 at 4.4 per cent of GDP. The debt-to-GDP ratio is estimated to be 55.6 per cent of GDP in BE 2026-27, compared to 56.1 per cent of GDP in RE 2025-26. (ANI)