Union Budget 2026: What youth, entrepreneurs and MSMEs want

With just two days left for the presentation of the Union Budget 2026, anticipation is running high among the youth and entrepreneurs over what Finance MinisterNirmala Sitharaman’s budget kitty will unveil. Young people across the country are hopeful that the government will announce industry-oriented training programmes aimed at enhancing skills and improving employability.

At the same time, small, medium and micro entrepreneurs, along with startups, are expecting major announcements. The MSME sector has been seeking enhanced credit facilities to support growth and expansion, along with better bank linkages to ensure easier access to loans. There is also strong expectation that the Budget will further strengthen the 'Make in India for the global market' vision by supporting domestic manufacturing and global outreach.

A key focus area for the youth is employment generation. With educated unemployment on the rise, there is growing demand for new schemes to create jobs, strengthen youth empowerment and possibly revise the age limit for public sector employment. Gen Z, considered the growth engine of the nation, is keenly watching whether special incentives and skill-focused initiatives will find a place in the Budget.

Young entrepreneurs are also hopeful of reforms that improve the ease of doing business. Simplification of the GST regime, increased incentives for agricultural machinery, and measures to further empower farmers are among the expectations. 

"There should be more focus on ease of doing business. Loan facilities for farmers, FPOs, startups, agriculture and agricultural technology are not proper. It should be easily available. MSMEs should get benefits in GST," said MSME entrepreneur Swasty Mishra. 

"The government should focus on education system and unemployment. The government should fill up all the vacant posts. The private and government should focus more on the youth," said Sunil Mishra, a job aspirant.

"We are hopeful that Nirmala Sitharaman madam will do something for the students. There is huge unemployment crisis in India. They should be provided employment opportunities," said Sasmita Mallick, a job aspirant.

Experts believe that greater emphasis on cost efficiency, quality improvement and time management within MSMEs is essential to enhance their global competitiveness.

To meet the rising demand of Global Capability Centres (GCCs), experts stress the need for advanced, industry-relevant skill training for the youth. Keeping the vision of a 'Developed India' in mind, the upcoming Budget is expected to place strong emphasis on skill upgradation, employment generation and stronger support for MSMEs.

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"The main challenges for the MSME sectors these days are credit linkage and marketing. Emphasis should be given on how to increase the global marketing chain. The government can act as a facilitator for the global marketing of MSMEs. Emphasis should be given to it so that India will meet the global need in the future," said Business expert Rajnarayan Tripathy.

"Unemployment is a major problem, and the youths are really concerned about it. The Finance Minister will definitely address it in the budget," said economist Prof SP Das.

All eyes are now on the Union Budget to see what special package the government may announce for the youth and entrepreneurs, who play a crucial role in nation-building.