Union Budget 2026–27 has been hailed by Supriya Shidhaye and Anshuman Jaswal for boosting biopharma innovation and education. While welcoming reforms in health, AI and skilling, experts said stronger support for deep-tech, sustainability and manufacturing-led research is crucial for global competitiveness.

“The Union Budget 2026–27, through the launch of the Biopharma SHAKTI Mission with a ₹10,000-crore, five-year outlay, marks a transformative step for India’s pharmaceutical and biopharma ecosystem. The focus on biologics and biosimilars, establishment of three new NIPERs, and upgradation of seven existing institutes will significantly strengthen academic capacity, advanced research, and industry-ready talent development. The creation of over 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites and the strengthening of CDSCO with a dedicated scientific review cadre will further enhance India’s global credibility in research and regulatory excellence. Together, these reforms signal a decisive shift from generic-led manufacturing to innovation-driven, high-value pharmaceutical production, empowering academia to play a central role in India’s journey towards a Viksit Bharat and global pharmaceutical leadership,” said Dr Supriya Shidhaye, Principal of Vivekanand Education Society College of Pharmacy.

Education, health and AI focus

Dr Anshuman Jaswal, Director of NMIMS campus, said the recent Union Budget has focused heavily on health and AI when it comes to education. There will be new institutes for pharmacy, mental health, and Ayurveda. Similarly, there is emphasis on AI-enabled education and on skilling in sports, tourism, and for Divyangjan. A National Institute of Hospitality will be created. The government is also going to set up five university townships to support major industrial centres. Another significant initiative is the proposed support for the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies to set up AV, gaming and creative content labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges. Investment is also being provided in astronomy-related research.

Need for stronger research support

He said these are all significant steps, but one does feel that more could have been done to encourage research and education in areas of AI, sustainability, space, deep tech and related technologies in the education sector. This is a crucial time for the Indian science and technology sector. It is important that universities get strong support from the government for their research in areas such as AI, computer hardware, quantum computing, robotics, space, defence, drones and related fields. Similarly, sustainability-related research is also highly relevant today. The current support is welcome, but more can be done if Indian universities and industry are to compete globally.

Balancing services and manufacturing

Dr Jaswal said he believes the government has prioritised the service sector, where employment generation will be easier to achieve for the country. This includes generating employment for people in rural areas, women, the disabled and others. He said the approach is laudable. However, at the same time, he cautioned that the larger picture should not be overlooked or the potential of the smart manufacturing sector underestimated in generating both employment and profit.

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He said India is one of the better-placed countries when it comes to manufacturing in areas such as space, defence, electronics, deep tech and sustainability. The recent emphasis of the government on the domestic manufacturing of computer chips is an example. This presents an opportunity to onboard large-scale research by universities in these areas. Any expenditure incurred will also help boost education and the creation of new courses and programmes. In this manner, he said, the government will be able to adopt a two-pronged approach to employment generation while giving long-overdue importance to research and education related to the manufacturing sector.

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