By C.S. Krishnadas, Chief Executive Officer, Umiya Buildcon

“As India prepares for the Union Budget 2026, the telecom sector stands at a transformative juncture, driving the country’s digital economy with a subscriber base of around 1.2 billion.

The sector is entering the ‘Intelligence Era,’ where networks are evolving from passive infrastructure into AI-native, self-healing, and secure ecosystems. Innovations in routing, switching, and data center networking, such as 400G/800G architectures, AI-optimised NPUs, lossless Ethernet, and co-packaged optics are enabling ultra-low latency, high-performance AI and cloud workloads.

While investments in network expansion and emerging technologies are creating new opportunities, targeted policy support in the upcoming budget could further catalyse growth. Strengthening production-linked incentives for indigenous design-led manufacturing, enhancing capex support for next-generation infrastructure, and promoting trusted domestic networking products will boost India’s self-reliance and global competitiveness.

With industry revenues projected to grow and operators increasingly focusing on data-led services and future-ready networks, a forward-looking budget that balances investment incentives with digital inclusion goals will accelerate India’s journey to a resilient, sovereign, and globally competitive telecom ecosystem in 2026.”

As India continues to prioritise digital and physical infrastructure, the upcoming Budget is expected to play a key role in supporting telecom expansion, domestic manufacturing, and long-term infrastructure investments.