Budget 2026: Industry calls for digital infrastructure push

As the Union Budget 2026 approaches, leaders from India’s digital infrastructure and connectivity sector are calling for stronger policy support to accelerate enterprise growth, cloud adoption and next-generation networks. Their views reflect growing concern that while India’s digital ambitions remain strong, gaps in infrastructure readiness could slow the next phase of economic expansion.

Over the past decade, India has built one of the world’s largest digital ecosystems, driven by widespread internet access, digital payments and a rapidly growing startup sector. However, industry executives say the focus must now shift from access to capability, with greater emphasis on shared, secure and scalable infrastructure that can support increasingly data-driven businesses.

From ambition to infrastructure readiness

Kunal Bajaj, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of CloudExtel, said India’s digital progress is now constrained more by infrastructure than by intent.

“India’s digital economy is no longer limited by ambition; it is limited by infrastructure readiness,” Bajaj said. “As we approach the Union Budget 2026, the real opportunity lies in enabling shared, secure, and scalable digital infrastructure that enterprises can adopt faster and at lower cost.”

He added that cloud-first policies and infrastructure-sharing frameworks would play a decisive role in helping Indian companies compete internationally.

“At CloudExtel, we see cloud-first policies, infrastructure sharing, and support for next-generation connectivity as critical enablers. The next phase of growth will belong to economies that build digital infrastructure as a utility, not a luxury,” Bajaj said.

Push for intelligent and neutral networks

Similar concerns were echoed by Ramarathinam Sellaratnam, known as Ram, Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of iBUS Networks, who highlighted the importance of sustained investment and regulatory clarity.

“As India approaches the Union Budget 2026, sustained investment and policy support for digital infrastructure will be critical to meeting the growing connectivity needs of enterprises, startups, and smart urban developments,” he said.

Sellaratnam said the company is focusing on building intelligent and neutral digital networks within commercial buildings and campuses, designed to adapt to evolving business requirements.

“Connectivity within buildings and campuses is not just shared and neutral, but also adaptive, data-driven, and future-ready,” he said. “As markets evolve and digital consumption accelerates, infrastructure providers must continuously innovate to stay ahead of enterprise requirements driven by cloud, AI, and data-intensive applications.”

He also called for faster approvals and stronger support for infrastructure sharing.

“Policy measures that simplify infrastructure approvals, encourage active and passive infrastructure sharing, and support 5G and next-generation networks can significantly improve deployment speed and cost efficiency,” Sellaratnam said, particularly in large commercial and mixed-use developments.

Bridging the gap in emerging markets

From the perspective of emerging business hubs and smaller cities, industry leaders say policy intervention is needed to reduce regional disparities in digital access.

Salil Ahuja, Chief Strategy Officer at Shaurrya Teleservices, said shared infrastructure models could help startups and small enterprises scale more efficiently.

“Strengthening digital infrastructure will be critical to supporting the next phase of startup- and enterprise-led growth,” Ahuja said. “We are building neutral, carrier-agnostic digital infrastructure across offices, campuses, and emerging business hubs, enabling enterprises and startups to access enterprise-grade connectivity without heavy upfront investment.”

He noted that as businesses become increasingly dependent on cloud platforms and data-intensive applications, regulatory support will be essential.

“Policy measures that accelerate infrastructure approvals, promote sharing models, and support 5G-ready networks can significantly reduce the cost and complexity of scaling, especially across Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets,” Ahuja said.

Budget 2026 as a turning point

Collectively, the industry leaders argue that the upcoming Budget represents a critical opportunity to strengthen the foundations of India’s digital economy. They emphasise that resilient, shared and intelligently managed infrastructure will not only improve business productivity and user experience but also contribute to job creation and long-term competitiveness.

With enterprise digitisation, artificial intelligence and cloud adoption gathering pace, stakeholders believe that targeted policy measures in Budget 2026 could determine how effectively India translates its digital ambitions into sustained economic growth.