Education Budget 2026-27 Expectations: The Union Budget 2026-27 is set to be tabled on February 1, 2026. Check budget expectations from education sector.
The experts in education sector expect the budget to focus on skill-based education, blended learning ecosystem, AI-based learning, future-ready skills, STEM learning, application-based learning from an early stage. The Union Budget 2026-27 is set to be tabled on February 1, 2026.
Budget 2026-27 Expectations from academicians, experts
Debashis Sanyal, Director – Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai– “India’s education budget should recognise learning as economic infrastructure. The focus must shift to preparing students for evolving jobs through flexible curricula, industry-linked programs, and regional skill ecosystems. Funding choices should reflect India’s scale and diversity, ensuring quality education reaches beyond metros without widening inequality.”
Raul V. Rodriguez, Vice President, Woxsen University– “Budgets should not reward scale without robustness. Indian education needs antifragile universities, globally networked, AI-enabled, and deeply tied to real-world problem solving. Funding applied research and industry-linked learning is not reformist fashion; it is risk management if India is to avoid fragile growth and cognitive dependency.”
Anand Jacob Verghese, Chairman, Hindustan Group of Institutions– “As a private education group, we look to the Union Budget for key enablers such as stronger public–private collaboration, easier access to education finance, incentives for industry-funded laboratories, tax support for research and faculty development, and clear norms for digital and transnational education. At the same time, adequate investment in frontier areas like quantum computing, electric aviation, and a sharper focus on sustainable manufacturing are essential. Together, these measures will empower private institutions to deliver NEP-aligned, research-driven, and employment-ready outcomes for the future.”
Prasad D Khandekar, Chief Academic Officer, MIT WPU Pune– “In the view of the higher education, Budget 2026 needs to consider funding technologically to sustain and focus on affordable quality education. The important commitments must consist of competitive access to research and innovation investments, promotion of digital transformation, and outcome-contingent assistance to accreditation, faculty development, and multidisciplinary NEP-relevant reforms.
On the policy level, the Budget must allow scholarships and interest subsidies to the students, tax incentives on industry-financed research and infrastructure, and organized PPP models on centers of excellence and hubs of skills. All this will enhance employability, research, and global competitiveness as self-financed universities will be able to play an active role in realising the future of Vikasit Bharat.”
Niru Agarwal, Managing Trustee, Greenwood High International School– “As the education sector stands at a defining moment, we have immense hopes for significant budgetary allocations in the upcoming union budget. While recent policy reforms have laid a strong foundation, the budget must now focus on translating this vision into measurable outcomes by prioritising increased access to education, upskilling and building technological capacities of the students.
This must address the evolving needs of students and educators, especially in rural and underserved regions, which will help empower educators to deliver better learning outcomes. The government should also bring about measures to strengthen skill-based education, ensuring closer alignment between academic curricula and industry requirements. It is equally essential to increase women’s participation in STEM fields, which would be an important step toward building an inclusive workforce.
A stronger blended learning ecosystem, which integrates digital tools, physical infrastructure, and experiential learning, will further enhance learning outcomes and future readiness. We also see significant value in giving renewed impetus to public–private partnership models in education, as they can effectively harness the complementary strengths of both sectors to enhance quality, expand access, and improve the overall efficiency of the education system. We believe that education is the bedrock of a nation’s progress, and this union budget presents an important opportunity to respond to current needs and shape a dynamic, future-ready education system.”
Shweta Sastri, Managing Director, Canadian International School, Bangalore– “As the Union Budget approaches, we look ahead with optimism that education will continue to receive focused, future-oriented attention. Nurturing well-rounded learners requires strengthening teaching quality, infrastructure, and innovation, with holistic development remaining central. Sustained investment in teacher training, modern learning spaces, and technology-enabled classrooms is essential to fostering inclusion, curiosity, and critical thinking. Empowering educators through continuous professional development and digital upskilling must be a priority, as teachers are the cornerstone of any high-performing education system. A higher allocation would support the establishment of new K–12 schools, strengthen educational infrastructure, bridge the urban–rural education gap, and improve outcomes nationwide—particularly in government schools that serve the majority of India’s children.
There is also a timely opportunity to strengthen STEM education and skill-oriented, application-based learning from an early stage, helping students develop and strengthen future-ready skills. Technology integration should remain a key focus, enabling wider access to high-quality, personalised learning resources while advancing equity and inclusion. Lowering interest rates on education loans would further ease financial pressures on families and improve access to quality higher education options. Encouraging partnerships with international institutions and expanding cultural exchange programmes can enrich the education ecosystem, foster global citizenship, and strengthen India’s position as an emerging global study destination. Overall, increased investment in education remains critical to achieving equitable, inclusive, and meaningful learning for all.”
Pankaj Priya, Deputy Director and Dean Academics, BIMTECH Greater Noida– “In education, addressing cognitive skill gaps alone is not sufficient, and this responsibility cannot be left solely to State governments when the Centre is driving the national skilling agenda. At the higher education level, there is an urgent need to align curricula with Industry 4.0 and emerging technologies such as Generative AI and machine learning. The National Education Policy 2020 recognises this shift and targets that by 2025, at least 50 per cent of students across school and higher education will be exposed to skill-based learning.
While the Economic Survey 2024–25 shows that the number of colleges has increased by 13.8% over the past eight years and the Gross Enrolment Ratio has risen from 23.7% to 28.4%, the next phase of reform must clearly pivot towards quality, deep research capacity, and strong employability outcomes—not just expanding access. This Budget is a critical opportunity to transform India’s education system into a globally competitive engine for innovation and future-ready talent. Our aim is to instill a mindset for innovation and entrepreneurship to derive maximum benefits from government initiatives focused on cutting-edge technologies.”
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