Archives February 2026

Industry Leaders Welcome Union Budget 2026, Highlight Focus on Growth, MSMEs, Skilling, Healthcare and Innovation

New Delhi, Feb 2: Industry leaders across healthcare, MSMEs, education, manufacturing, mobility, financial services, and creative industries have broadly welcomed the Union Budget 2026, calling it a balanced and forward-looking roadmap that reinforces India’s long-term growth ambitions while maintaining fiscal discipline.

The Budget’s emphasis on capital-led growth, MSME financing, skilling, healthcare infrastructure, green mobility, and innovation-driven development has been widely acknowledged as a strong signal of policy continuity and confidence.

Strengthening Agriculture, Food Systems and Rural Livelihoods

Mr. Sasikumar Kallanai, Co-founder & CEO, TenderCuts, noted that the Budget’s focus on agriculture and allied sectors such as fisheries and animal husbandry will strengthen India’s protein ecosystem. Measures supporting Fish FPOs, women-led groups, veterinary infrastructure, and AI-led AgriStack integration are expected to improve traceability, supply consistency, and income stability for producers.

Consumer Confidence and Discretionary Spending

Mr. Paul Alukkas, Managing Director, Jos Alukkas, said the Budget reinforces confidence by targeting ~7% growth while continuing fiscal consolidation. Rationalisation of TDS and lower TCS on overseas education expenses are expected to improve disposable incomes, supporting discretionary spending, especially in tier-2, tier-3, and rural markets.

Green Mobility and Manufacturing Push

Mr. Nemin Vora, CEO, Odysse Electric, welcomed the government’s focus on local EV component manufacturing and middle-class purchasing power. Enhanced MSME credit guarantees and green mobility incentives were seen as critical enablers of India’s Atmanirbhar mobility ecosystem.

Financial Inclusion and MSME Credit

Mr. Vivek Singh, CEO, Home Credit India, highlighted the ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund and ₹2,000 crore micro-enterprise risk capital top-up as vital steps to strengthen community-level financing, job creation, and sustained consumption. Infrastructure spending and MSME compliance support through Corporate Mitras are expected to improve borrower resilience.

Manufacturing, Housing and Infrastructure Growth

Mr. Manoj Tulsian, CEO & Joint MD, Greenply Industries, said continued public capex and infrastructure focus will boost housing demand in non-metro regions, benefiting organized manufacturers and skilled workers. He also welcomed reforms that simplify compliance and strengthen MSME clusters.

Cooperative and Digital Economy Reforms

Shri Prabhat Chaturvedi, CEO, NUCFDC, termed the Budget a continuation of India’s long-term development vision. Cooperative-focused tax measures, MSME funding support, and the proposed high-level banking committee were described as important steps toward safer, more inclusive credit expansion and global competitiveness.

Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Care

Mr. Jaishankar Natarajan, CEO & Director, India Autism Center, welcomed the announcement of a second NIMHANS, calling it a meaningful shift toward expanding mental health and neuroscience infrastructure. He highlighted the importance of skilled caregiving alongside institutional capacity.

Infrastructure and Energy Transition

Mr. Sharan Bansal, Director, Skipper Limited, said the increase in capital expenditure to ₹12.2 lakh crore reinforces infrastructure-led growth and provides long-term visibility for manufacturers in power and grid systems, while maintaining fiscal stability.

Research, Innovation and Education

Mr. Vikram Aditya Sahoo, Director – Research & Innovation, SAI International Education Group, welcomed enhanced funding for research infrastructure, biopharma clinical trials, AYUSH research, and carbon capture technologies, calling them transformative for education and innovation-led growth.

Entrepreneurship and MSME Ecosystem

Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII, said the recognition of MSMEs as ‘Champion Enterprises’ and support for women-led initiatives such as SHE-Marts will enable sustainable enterprise ownership and job creation.

Biopharma and Healthcare Manufacturing

Dr. K. Anand Kumar, MD, Indian Immunologicals Ltd, described the ₹10,000 crore BioPharma SHAKTI initiative as a defining moment that can elevate India from a volume-driven vaccine supplier to an innovation-led global biopharma hub.

MSME Growth Beyond Metros

Dr. Irfan Khan, Chairman, EBG Group, highlighted reforms in TReDS, invoice discounting, and compliance support as critical for manufacturers in tier-2 and tier-3 towns, enabling decentralised and sustainable industrial growth.

Skilling, AI and Youth Empowerment

Mr. Rahul Attuluri, CEO & Co-Founder, NxtWave, and Mr. Karun Tadepalli, Co-Founder & CEO, byteXL, described the Budget as “Yuva Shakti–driven,” applauding its focus on AI, employability, education-to-employment pathways, and digital infrastructure.

Creative Economy and AVGC Sector

Mr. Rajiv Chilaka, Founder & CEO, Green Gold Animation, said the AVGC Content Creator Labs initiative will build a strong talent pipeline, boost regional creators, and position India as a global hub for animation and gaming.

Grassroots Finance and Rural Growth

Mr. Murty LVLN, CEO, Dvara KGFS, said the Budget reinforces the importance of strengthening rural incomes and last-mile finance through AgriStack, infrastructure investments, and MSME credit reforms.

Banking and Debt Market Reforms

Mr. Chandan Churiwal, CEO & Whole-Time Director, Assets Care & Reconstruction Enterprise Ltd. (ACRE), described the Budget as mature and fiscally prudent, noting that maintaining the fiscal deficit at 4.3% while introducing sectoral reforms and proposing a high-level banking review committee will strengthen debt markets and accelerate consolidation.

The Leela Ambience Gurugram Launches Forest View Deck: An Elevated Sustainable Dining Experience Overlooking a 1,000-Acre Forest

Gurugram, Feb 02: The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel & Residences, synonymous with luxury and refinement, unveils Forest View Deck, a unique farm-to-fork dining destination rooted in sustainability and mindful indulgence. Nestled poolside with private cabana-style seating, the deck offers panoramic views of a sprawling 1,000-acre forest, providing guests a tranquil escape where they can unwind and dine amidst nature.

At the heart of Forest View Deck’s culinary philosophy is a commitment to season-led menus and responsibly sourced ingredients, drawn from the hotel’s own Leela Farm and The Green House. The 3.5-acre organic Leela Farm cultivates vegetables, fruits, and select dairy products without chemical intervention, while the hydroponic glasshouse at the deck grows nutrient-rich lettuces, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs using eco-friendly, soil-free methods. Together, these initiatives ensure fresh, high-quality ingredients while minimizing environmental impact.

Abhishek Gupta, Executive Chef at The Leela Ambience Gurugram, shares:

“At Forest View Deck, our cuisine begins with the season and ends with responsibility. From root to fruit, we celebrate Indian produce through sustainable, zero-waste gastronomy. Everything grown in our farm and glasshouse shapes a menu that honours nature, supports farmers, and shows that flavour and care must always go hand in hand.”

The dining experience emphasizes connection to nature and ingredients, with a menu that evolves across the four seasons to highlight produce at its peak. Complementing the food is a beverage selection that mirrors the same focus on freshness, balance, and seasonality.

Designed as an open-air retreat, Forest View Deck blends comfort with the surrounding landscape, offering a space for guests to slow down, savour thoughtfully prepared food, and enjoy a truly immersive culinary journey.

New Delhi, Feb 02: The FUJIFILM instax™ Undisputed Breaking Championship – India Qualifier concluded today in New Delhi, marking the first edition of the Undisputed championship to be held in India. Hosted at Worldmark 1, Aerocity, the event brought together breakers from 10 countries and across India, competing across three categories: Solo Women, Solo Men, and Crew (5vs5).

Set to a charged atmosphere and under the keen observation of an experienced international judging panel from the breaking community — Storm (Germany), Wing, Skim (South Korea), Paulina (Poland), Renegade (India), and Spin (United Kingdom) — participants delivered high-intensity battles that reflected both technical rigour and creative expression. Music throughout the day was curated by DJ Nobunga (Netherlands) and DJ Mana (India), keeping the floor alive from qualifiers through to the finals.

Winners Overview:
Winner – Solo Women Battle: Yuina, Japan (Tokyo)
Winner – Solo Men Battle: Ryoga, Japan (Tokyo)
Winner – Crew Battle: Indian All Stars, featuring renowned Indian breakers Wildchild, Tornado, Flying Machine

Participation:
Junior Battle: 29 participants
Solo Women: 50 participants
Solo Men: 333 participants
Crew Battle: 42 crews
Participants across categories represented India and the global breaking community.

Solo Women Battle: In the Solo Women category, Yuina (Japan) advanced to the final after a closely fought semi-final battle. She faced India (Netherlands) in the final round. Yuina stood out with a strong interpretation, control, and originality. Across multiple rounds, she maintained composure and precision, ultimately being crowned the FUJIFILM instax™ Undisputed India Solo Women Champion.

Solo Men Battle: The Solo Men final saw Ryoga (Japan) go head-to-head with Cyga (Russia) in a tightly contested battle. Both breakers delivered high-energy rounds, pushing each other until the final decision. With consistency and command of the floor, Ryoga emerged victorious, earning the title of FUJIFILM instax™ Undisputed India Solo Men Champion.

Crew Battle: In the Crew Battle final, Indian All Stars (India) faced SoulMatez (Nepal) in an electrifying showdown. The battle highlighted coordination, strategy, and individual strength, demonstrating what five breakers can achieve when performing as a unified crew. The final result underscored the growing depth of India’s crew culture.

Next Stop: Tokyo World Final
The winners of the Solo Women and Solo Men battles will now represent India at the FUJIFILM instax™ Undisputed World Final in Tokyo on March 21, 2026, joining champions from global qualifiers on one international stage.

Feb 02: Celebrating 40 years of innovation in titanium craftsmanship, LINDBERG unveils its latest collection, blok titanium, introducing a bold new dimension to personalized eyewear.

Crafted with front and hinges laser-cut from a single sheet of titanium, blok titanium redefines design possibilities. LINDBERG evolves its iconic cylindric hinges into the brand’s first cube hinge—twisted to precision without a single screw or weld—showcasing unparalleled technical ingenuity. The angular design extends through the full-frame titanium construction, creating an ultra-lightweight, sculptural silhouette that combines minimalist Danish design with functional excellence.

From timeless to contemporary silhouettes, blok titanium sets a new benchmark in eyewear design—functional, refined, and destined to become iconic.

Key Models:

• 4252: Graceful oval with a feminine touch, ideal for a sophisticated office look.

• 4260: Oversized rectangular frame with bold, architectural lines, radiating modern masculine energy.

• 4251: Compact square design with softened edges, offering a contemporary, high-impact look.

True to LINDBERG’s ethos, blok titanium offers extraordinary personalization: 18 titanium colors for front and temples, with optional groove colors for matching or contrasting styles. Thousands of combinations allow eyewear enthusiasts to craft frames uniquely their own.

By:- Akshay Chhabra, CMD, 1Point1 Solutions Limited

The Union Budget 2026–27 signals that India is moving beyond AI adoption to making AI a core engine of economic growth. A key highlight is the recognition of data centres as critical national infrastructure—a timely move that underscores the foundational role of digital infrastructure in an AI-led economy.

The proposed tax holiday until 2047 for global cloud service providers operating data centres in India sends a strong signal to long-term investors and hyperscalers. It encourages sustained capital commitment, accelerates large-scale infrastructure build-out, and strengthens India’s position in the global cloud, AI, and digital services value chain.

For AI-first services companies like 1Point1 Solutions, with operations across global markets and expertise in technology-led BPM and CX transformation, these measures create a powerful enabling environment. Incentives for cloud and hyperscale providers not only expand infrastructure capacity but also enhance institutional capability, talent readiness, and ecosystem maturity.

Together, these steps reinforce India’s readiness to lead responsibly in a digital- and intelligence-driven global economy. For companies with deep AI integration and global operations, this Budget highlights a clear reality: AI is no longer a future roadmap—it is today’s operating reality, and India is ready to lead from the front.

Feb 02: Nexus Select Trust, India’s largest retail real estate platform, continues to strengthen its commitment to community wellbeing through its nationwide social initiative, Happyness for HER – a nationwide initiative focused on advancing women’s health, menstrual hygiene, and awareness.

January, observed globally as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, serves as a critical reminder of the importance of preventive healthcare and early intervention for women. In recognition of this, we reached out to over 125,000 women and girls providing accessible sustainable sanitation products to underprivileged and sanitary pad dispensers installed across its malls, conducted over 500 workshops across 15 cities, and distributed over 20 lakhs sanitary napkins,  driving meaningful health awareness and community impact at scale, our aim is to reach out to 300,000 women by 2030.As part of its ongoing outreach, the initiative continues to expand across cities. Workshops have already been conducted in Mangalore and Navi Mumbai at schools adopted by Nexus, reaching over 1000 girls. This will be followed by sessions in Gurgaon, where over 1000 girls will participate in workshops, reinforcing the organisation’s long-term engagement with local communities. The programme will further scale, covering more than 8,000 girls from Government schools in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Bengaluru, and Delhi. By taking this initiative into schools and unreached communities, Nexus continues to focus on creating measurable impact beyond its business operations. 

Dalip Sehgal, Executive Director and CEO at Nexus Select Trust, said,

“Menstrual health in India continues to be an area where awareness and informed dialogue can be strengthened. This gap often prevents women from seeking information, care, and early diagnosis. India accounts for nearly ~20% of global cervical cancer cases every year, yet hundreds of millions still lack access to basic menstrual products, facilities, and accurate information underscoring the urgent need for awareness and preventive care this gap by providing credible, science-backed information to communities where it is required the most. Happyness for HER is about creating a safe space for dialogue and access, and an improved health ecosystem across the country.”

The Happyness for HER workshops are designed to address critical gaps in menstrual health and hygiene awareness. They also focus on building knowledge around cervical cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), both of which are closely linked to menstrual health. Through structured sessions led by trained educators, participants are encouraged to understand their bodies better and seek timely medical guidance when required.

Feb 02: Nexus Select Trust, India’s largest retail real estate platform, continues to strengthen its commitment to community wellbeing through its nationwide social initiative, Happyness for HER – a nationwide initiative focused on advancing women’s health, menstrual hygiene, and awareness.

January, observed globally as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, serves as a critical reminder of the importance of preventive healthcare and early intervention for women. In recognition of this, we reached out to over 125,000 women and girls providing accessible sustainable sanitation products to underprivileged and sanitary pad dispensers installed across its malls, conducted over 500 workshops across 15 cities, and distributed over 20 lakhs sanitary napkins,  driving meaningful health awareness and community impact at scale, our aim is to reach out to 300,000 women by 2030.As part of its ongoing outreach, the initiative continues to expand across cities. Workshops have already been conducted in Mangalore and Navi Mumbai at schools adopted by Nexus, reaching over 1000 girls. This will be followed by sessions in Gurgaon, where over 1000 girls will participate in workshops, reinforcing the organisation’s long-term engagement with local communities. The programme will further scale, covering more than 8,000 girls from Government schools in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Bengaluru, and Delhi. By taking this initiative into schools and unreached communities, Nexus continues to focus on creating measurable impact beyond its business operations. 

Dalip Sehgal, Executive Director and CEO at Nexus Select Trust, said,

“Menstrual health in India continues to be an area where awareness and informed dialogue can be strengthened. This gap often prevents women from seeking information, care, and early diagnosis. India accounts for nearly ~20% of global cervical cancer cases every year, yet hundreds of millions still lack access to basic menstrual products, facilities, and accurate information underscoring the urgent need for awareness and preventive care this gap by providing credible, science-backed information to communities where it is required the most. Happyness for HER is about creating a safe space for dialogue and access, and an improved health ecosystem across the country.”

The Happyness for HER workshops are designed to address critical gaps in menstrual health and hygiene awareness. They also focus on building knowledge around cervical cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), both of which are closely linked to menstrual health. Through structured sessions led by trained educators, participants are encouraged to understand their bodies better and seek timely medical guidance when required.

Shesh Rao Paplikar, Founder & CEO, BHIVE Workspace 

“The coworking and managed office space industry will be well positioned to tap into a multi-million-dollar opportunity from the initiatives announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2026. By providing premium office spaces across cities in an affordable and flexible manner, especially for focused segments such as MSMEs, emerging economic hubs in smaller cities, and the revival of over 200 legacy industrial sectors, the shared workspace industry will become a key ally in driving this transformation.”

JSW MG Motor India has released the official teaser of India’s first D+ SUV – MG MAJESTOR scheduled for its grand unveil on 12^th February. The MG MAJESTOR is set to establish new benchmarks in design and performance.

With its longest, widest, and tallest dimensions, the MG MAJESTOR will redefine the regular D segment and will mark its presence in the new D+ Segment. Designed to deliver unstoppable performance across urban and rugged terrains, it redefines excellence in SUV capability.

The teaser showcases the SUV’s commanding design language, highlighted by the Majestic Matrix Combination Grille, complemented by sharp Falcon-type Daytime Running Lamps and contemporary split-style headlamps, lending it a bold road presence.

Stay tuned as the MG MAJESTOR makes its majestic debut on 12^th February.Post Copy for Influencers:
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The MG MAJESTOR is set to set new benchmarks in the D+ SUV segment with commanding presence, bold design, and unmatched performance. Unveiling on 12th February 2026.
2. Bigger. Bolder. More Majestic.
Introducing the MG MAJESTOR — India’s first D+ segment SUV, built to dominate city streets and conquer every terrain in style. Stay tuned for the grand unveil on 12th February 2026.

Mr. C.S. Vigneshwar, President, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA)

“The Union Budget 2026-27 presents a robust roadmap for the various sectors transition toward a sustainable and technologically advanced future. We particularly welcome the governments commitment to the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem by extending basic customs duty exemptions for capital goods used in manufacturing Lithium-Ion Cells,. This, combined with the establishment of Rare Earth Corridors in mineral-rich states to support permanent magnet manufacturing, will significantly bolster domestic EV production and affordability.

The push for green mobility is further strengthened by the provision of 4,000 e-buses for the North-East and Purvodaya regions, and the exclusion of biogas value from Central Excise duty on blended CNG,. These measures, alongside the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, will help stabilize the supply chain for modern vehicles.

For our dealer community, many of whom are MSMEs, the ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund and the mandating of TReDS for settlement are pivotal steps toward improving liquidity and growth,. Additionally, the Income Tax exemption for interest awarded by Motor Accident Claims Tribunals (MACT) is a welcome relief for individual vehicle owners and victims,. Overall, this budget balances industrial scaling with consumer-centric tax reforms.”