New Delhi, Feb 2 || The government support to new technologies through AI mission, National Quantum Mission, Anusandhan National Research Fund, Research and Innovation Fund promises to be a big boost for the Indian higher education institutions that are nurturing India’s future entrepreneurs, industry leaders said on Monday.
The Union Budget 2026 signals a decisive shift in how India is approaching technology, from adoption to strategic capability building.
“The emphasis on AI, semiconductors, cloud and data infrastructure reflects a clear understanding that leadership in the digital economy is built bottom-up, starting with strong foundations. The strengthening of the India AI Mission provides a coordinated framework to accelerate AI research, deployment and ethical governance across sectors,” said CP Gurnani, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman, AIONOS.
Importantly, this is not a narrow tech agenda. By aligning AI investments with skilling, workforce readiness and MSME enablement, the Budget recognises that scale, inclusion and competitiveness must move together, he mentioned.