Budget 2026: Focus Remains On Deregulation, Decriminalisation Of Business Norms
The Finance Ministry is currently examining proposals submitted by multiple ministries and departments to simplify existing rules and procedures.
The Union Budget 2026–27 is being framed as another major step in India’s ongoing reform journey, with the government expected to deepen its push for deregulation across sectors. Policymakers are preparing a Budget that leans strongly toward simplifying the rules of doing business, with deregulation and decriminalisation emerging as the two central themes for FY27.
A key focus is likely to be easier registration and approval norms for firms and individuals. The Finance Ministry is currently examining proposals submitted by multiple ministries and departments to simplify existing rules and procedures. Routine inspections, which businesses have long flagged as a compliance burden, may be scaled back and replaced with risk-based, technology-driven oversight.
In line with this shift, criminal action is expected to be increasingly restricted only to serious offences, while most procedural lapses are likely to be decriminalised. The broader reform agenda for FY27 is expected to cut across sectors, with the aim of boosting productivity and improving overall economic efficiency.
As part of the Budget-making exercise, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to hold consultations with state finance ministers in the coming days to gather inputs for the Union Budget.
Sitharaman is expected to table the Union Budget for 2026–27 on Feb. 1, according to officials familiar with the matter. The date has not yet received formal government notification.
If presented as planned, the Budget will be tabled on a Sunday. February 1, 2026 falls on a weekend, making it a rare Sunday sitting of Parliament for the annual financial statement.
The Union Budget has been presented on Feb. 1 every year since 2017, regardless of the day of the week. The government has retained the date as part of its post-2017 Budget calendar.
Parliament has convened on Sundays in limited circumstances in the past. Such sittings took place during special situations, including in 2020 and 2012.
