Union Budget 2026: Capex growth expected to stay central on the agenda, says expert

Key Highlights

• Capex growth is expected to stay central on the agenda, but it is imperative to address opportunities of AI-led growth, digital infrastructure, manufacturing expansion and energy transition.
• Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) play a critical role in financing parts of the economy where traditional channels are less effective.
• Early-stage companies, infrastructure projects, stressed or transitional assets and MSMEs increasingly rely on patient, risk-tolerant capital.
• Having been part of the investing ecosystem for over two decades and experienced the various market cycles, I see first-hand how investor appetite for alternative assets in India has evolved.
• Private equity, venture capital, private credit and real asset funds are no longer niche products; they are becoming essential components of long-term capital allocation.