11
Union Budget forward looking, prepares India for next phase of global leadership: Puri – myuttarakhandnews.com | Uttarakhand News in English | Dehradun News Today| News Uttarakhand | Uttarakhand latest news
PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has said the Union Budget 2026-27 is a forward-looking budget document which builds on the foundations laid over the past decade while preparing India for the next phase of global leadership. Interacting with the mediapersons here on Saturday, he said that the Budget reflects the confidence and maturity of an economy that has undergone a fundamental transformation since 2014. Puri claimed that the Budget strikes a careful balance between promoting growth and maintaining fiscal discipline, underscoring India’s journey from being counted among the ‘fragile five’ to becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy and one of the most trusted global growth stories. The Union Minister said that for financial year 2026, the GDP is estimated at 7.4 per cent which reaffirms India’s position as the fastest-growing major economy for the fourth consecutive year, even as global growth hovers around three per cent. On price stability, the Minister said that between April and December 2025, inflation averaged about 1.7 per cent, supported by lower food prices, particularly vegetables and pulses. He pointed out that India’s inflation levels are significantly lower than those prevailing in several advanced and emerging economies. Emphasising on the decisive shift towards capital-led growth since 2014, Puri said overall capital expenditure in 2026–27 stands at about Rs 12.2 lakh crore, representing an increase of over 430 per cent compared to 2013–14. He said that allocations for national highways have risen by about 500 per cent, defence by over 210 per cent, health and family welfare by nearly 176 per cent and education by over 110 per cent during this period. Highlighting the strengthening of defence and strategic capabilities, the Minister said sustained investment since 2014 has helped reduce import dependence while accelerating indigenous defence manufacturing. He added that since 2014, the number of IITs has increased from 16 to 23, IIMs from 13 to 21, AIIMS from seven to 23, and medical colleges from 387 to 819. He added that India now has international IIT campuses in Zanzibar and Abu Dhabi. The Minister said infrastructure expansion since 2014 has transformed connectivity and everyday life across the country. The length of national highways has expanded from about 91,000 km in 2014 to nearly 1.46 lakh kilometres in 2026, while the metro network has grown from 248 km to over 1,000 km. The number of airports has more than doubled from 70 to around 160. He said that in the last five years alone, more than 57,000 km of NHs have been constructed, generating around 33 crore person-days of employment annually. He also highlighted that over 164 Vande Bharat Express trains are operational today. Under the UDAN scheme, 1.5 crore passengers have flown on routes that did not exist earlier, making India the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market. On MSMEs and clean growth, the Minister said the Budget builds on the progress made since 2014 by aligning competitiveness with sustainability.
About The Author
