New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Harsh Malhotra described the Union Budget 2026-27 to be a historic milestone in India’s journey towards becoming a fully developed nation by 2047.

The minister said the Budget 2026 is progressive, citizen-centric, and trust-based, emphasizing transparency and ease of living. Highlighting his government’s achievements since 2014, Malhotra said India’s export performance has reached an impressive USD 825 billion, highlighting the steadily advancing defense production under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative; significant decline if Gross NPAs in the banking sector, and continued rising Foreign Direct Investment.

Budget boosting Education, Healthcare, and Women’s Empowerment

“The education and skilling remain central pillars of this budget, with the government’s announcement of the development of Five University townships along industrial corridors and the creation of ecosystems that integrate academia with industry. Recognizing the power of women-led development, the government has presented its ninth consecutive gender-focused budget, with provisions for hostels in every district to enhance access to education and employment opportunities for women,” Malhotra said.

The Union Minister highlighted the allocation of approximately Rs 1 lakh crore for the health sector. He added that Rs 10,000 crore has been earmarked for the Biopharma Shakti.

The Minister also mentioned the allocation of Rs 3 lakh crore for road infrastructure and seven high-speed rail corridors planned. Malhotra said the redevelopment of 1,000 stations under the Amrit Bharat initiative is set to transform rail travel. Further, Defence sector has been allocated Rs 7.5 lakh crore.

The Union minister also spoke about the Delhi Decongestion Plan. He informed about the extension of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway (NE-5) from KMPE till UER-II (NH-344M) in Delhi and Haryana would provide Direct Connectivity link to Delhi and Gurugram with Katra through UER-II & Dwarka Expressway, Extension of UER-II (NH-344M) near Alipur till Delhi-Dehradun Expressway (NH-709B) near Tronica City in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, the official release mentioned.