By Samir Kumar
I am excited about the three foundational Kartavyas—accelerating economic growth, fulfilling people’s aspirations, and advancing Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. Budget 2026 continues India’s reform journey through consultation and deliberation, creating an enabling environment for businesses and innovation.
Building on last year’s landmark reforms in GST and labor laws, this budget offers policy certainty and institutional capacity for the private sector. By maintaining fiscal discipline and doubling down on innovation and skilling, the government has struck a fine balance.
Through progressive reform and digital infrastructure, we are building an India where opportunity is democratized, small businesses scale without limits, and the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians transform into tangible achievements by 2047.
Infrastructure as the Great Enabler
The record ₹12.2 lakh crore expenditure outlay showcases India’s commitment to infrastructure, including the Dankuni-Surat freight corridor and 20 new national waterways, reducing logistics costs to nearly 8%. This enhances digital commerce with faster, more reliable deliveries.
The integrated digital platform for customs processes removes friction, enabling seamless global trade. Removing the ₹10 lakh cap on courier exports and reducing personal import tariffs from 20% to 10% empowers small resellers and niche exporters, fostering confident participation in international markets.
Empowering MSMEs: The Backbone of Growth
Budget 2026 strengthens India’s MSME sector with a ₹4,000 crore top-up to the Self-Reliant India Fund and a new ₹10,000 crore fund for “Champion SMEs,” providing patient capital for global scaling. “Corporate Mitras” in Tier-II and Tier-III cities simplify compliance, while extended export timelines and streamlined GST refund processes offer liquidity relief.
Technology-driven tax reforms, such as reducing Income tax and GST Tax Collection at Source from 2% to 0.6%, improve MSME cash flow. Amazon’s digital enablement of 12 million small businesses and $20 billion in cumulative exports demonstrate progressive policy’s role in inclusive growth.
We aim to enable $80 billion in cumulative e-commerce exports by 2030. The next phase of reform, including unified national commerce and AI-powered compliance tools, will unlock the potential of entrepreneurs to scale nationally and compete globally.
Trust-Based Governance: The New Paradigm
The budget’s emphasis on trust-based governance and reduced prosecution signifies a pivotal shift in the government-business relationship. With advanced data linking capabilities, the government can leverage AI to simplify compliance through AI-powered tools, intelligent document processing, and predictive analytics.
This makes sophisticated tax management accessible to businesses of all sizes, leveling the playing field. Predictable tax treatment and straightforward compliance allow businesses to focus on customers rather than paperwork, fostering participation in the formal economy.
Building Digital Sovereignty
The ₹40,000 crore outlay for electronics component manufacturing and the enhanced India Semiconductor Mission (ISM 2.0) signal India’s intent to move decisively up the global value chain.
The 20-year tax holiday for foreign cloud service providers using Indian data centres positions India as the “Data Capital of the World,” creating long-term policy certainty for technology investments.
Amazon’s Commitment to India’s Future
Our commitment to invest an additional $35 billion in India by 2030 reflects confidence in this vision. We are committed to supporting 3.8 million jobs by 2030 across technology, operations, logistics, and customer support, empowering India’s youth and contributing meaningfully to Viksit Bharat.
Our investments in fulfilment centres and data centres are not just about building infrastructure – they are about building human capital and enabling millions of entrepreneurs to write India’s growth story.
(The author is Country Manager at Amazon India)
Disclaimer: The views expressed are the author’s own and do not reflect the official policy or position of Financial Express.