New Delhi: As anticipation builds around the upcoming Union Budget 2026, finance content creators and market commentators are urging the government to prioritize stability, compliance simplification, and investor-friendly tax reforms over headline-grabbing announcements. With global geopolitical tensions and inflationary pressures shaping the macroeconomic environment, expectations are leaning toward prudence and predictability rather than populist measures.
Srishti Gosavi, a finance content creator and Chartered Accountant, believes the upcoming budget cycle is unlikely to bring dramatic changes for salaried taxpayers, noting that several major structural tax reforms were already implemented last year.
“Going into Budget 2026, I’m honestly not expecting dramatic announcements, especially for salaried individuals, because most of the major structural tax changes were already done last year. At this stage, stability matters more than surprise,” she said.
Highlighting the uncertain global backdrop marked by supply chain disruptions, inflation risks, and volatile capital flows, Gosavi emphasized the need for fiscal discipline. According to her, this is a year for predictable policy direction rather than short-term populist interventions.
From a macroeconomic standpoint, she expects continued government emphasis on defence systems, capital expenditure, infrastructure, logistics, and energy — sectors widely seen as long-term growth engines for the Indian economy.
She also stressed the urgent need for compliance simplification. “As a Chartered Accountant, one strong expectation is simplification, especially compliance-related relief for MSMEs, professionals, and the growing creator economy. Today, content creators and digital professionals are no longer side hustlers; they’re legitimate contributors to the economy,” Gosavi noted.
She further added that the budget should encourage long-term investing behavior and financial awareness. “I also hope Budget 2026 nudges people towards long-term investing rather than short-term speculation, and places more emphasis on financial literacy instead of just introducing more financial products. Child’s financial planning, retirement planning, pensions, and social security deserve more attention as the workforce profile changes.”
Summing up her outlook, she remarked that consistency itself would be a positive outcome. “Overall, in an uncertain global environment, India’s biggest strength right now is consistency. If Budget 2026 manages to stay boring, reduce confusion, and build confidence, that itself would be a successful budget.”
Echoing investor-focused concerns, Shivam Budhiraja, a finance content creator and entrepreneur, underlined the growing role of domestic retail investors in supporting Indian markets during periods of foreign outflows. He argued that tax policies should better reward this segment.
“The Indian middle class has become the ‘patient investor’ that saves our markets when foreign investors pull out, yet they are often penalised with high taxes and the loss of indexation benefits,” Budhiraja said.
He called for the restoration of indexation benefits to safeguard long-term investments against inflation and recommended revisiting capital gains taxation norms. “For 2026, our biggest expectation is the full restoration of indexation to protect long-term savings from inflation. We also need a rethink on Short-Term Capital Gains (STCG) and an increase in the tax-free limit for FD interest,” he stated.
According to Budhiraja, a strong budget should recognize and reward domestic investor participation in India’s growth journey. “A good budget for the economy is one that rewards domestic investors for their loyalty to the Indian growth story,” he added.
With multiple stakeholders looking for clarity, simplification, and investor-sensitive reforms, Union Budget 2026 is expected to be closely watched for signals of policy continuity and long-term economic direction rather than short-term stimulus.