Union Budget 2026-27 — Complete List of New Government Schemes

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 on February 1, 2026, announcing several new schemes across agriculture, women empowerment, disability welfare, healthcare, infrastructure, education, and clean energy. This guide covers every major new scheme with eligibility, benefits, and expected impact.

Disclaimer: CitizenNest is an independent platform and is not affiliated with the Government of India. Information is sourced from official budget documents available at indiabudget.gov.in. Scheme implementation details may evolve as official guidelines are notified.

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Quick Summary — All New Schemes at a Glance

#	Scheme	Sector	Allocation	Key Beneficiaries
1	Bharat-VISTAAR	Agriculture & AI	—	Farmers, agri-tech startups
2	SHE-Marts	Women Empowerment	—	Women entrepreneurs & SHGs
3	Divyang Kaushal Yojana	Disability Welfare	—	Persons with disabilities (PwDs)
4	Divyang Sahara Yojana	Disability Welfare	—	PwDs needing assistive devices & support
5	Biopharma SHAKTI	Healthcare & Pharma	₹10,000 crore	Pharma companies, researchers
6	7 High-Speed Rail Corridors	Infrastructure	—	Commuters, businesses
7	CCUS Mission	Clean Energy	₹20,000 crore	Energy sector, environment
8	University Townships	Education	—	Students, faculty
9	Girls' Hostels Expansion	Education	—	Girl students in higher education
10	Medical Tourism Hubs	Healthcare	—	International patients, hospitals
11	AVGC Labs in Schools	Education & Digital	—	School students (15,000 schools)

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1. Bharat-VISTAAR (AI-Powered Farming)

Full Name: Bharat Vikas through Intelligent and Sustainable Technology in Agriculture and Allied Reforms

What It Is: A flagship scheme to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Indian farming — covering crop planning, soil health analysis, weather-based advisories, yield prediction, and supply chain optimisation.

Who Benefits:

• Small and marginal farmers across India
• Agri-tech startups and FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisations)
• State agricultural universities and research bodies

Key Features:

• AI-driven crop advisory via mobile apps in local languages
• Soil health mapping using satellite imagery and IoT sensors
• Real-time weather alerts and pest/disease warnings
• Integration with PM-KISAN for seamless farmer identification
• Digital marketplace linkage for direct farmer-to-consumer sales

Expected Impact: Improved crop yields, reduced input costs, and better market access for over 10 crore small farmers.

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2. SHE-Marts (Women-Led Retail Ecosystem)

What It Is: A nationwide network of women-led retail marts to provide women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with dedicated retail space, training, and market access.

Who Benefits:

• Women entrepreneurs and micro-business owners
• SHG members across rural and semi-urban India
• Women artisans and craftspeople

Key Features:

• Dedicated retail outlets managed by women SHGs in every district
• End-to-end support: product packaging, branding, digital payments
• Linkage with e-commerce platforms for online sales
• Financial literacy and business management training
• Priority credit access through MUDRA and other schemes

Expected Impact: Boost women's participation in organised retail, create lakhs of new livelihoods, and strengthen the SHG ecosystem started under DAY-NRLM.

Related: See our guide on Startup India Registration for women looking to formalise their businesses.

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3. Divyang Kaushal Yojana (Skill Development for PwDs)

What It Is: A dedicated skilling programme for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) offering accessible, customised vocational training across 50+ trades.

Who Benefits:

• Persons with disabilities (all 21 categories under RPwD Act 2016)
• Age group: 15–45 years

Key Features:

• Accessible training centres with assistive technology
• Courses in IT, digital marketing, data entry, customer support, handicrafts
• Sign language interpreters and Braille materials provided
• Stipend during training period
• Mandatory placement support with partner companies
• Integration with UDID Card for identity verification

Expected Impact: Skill lakhs of PwDs for gainful employment, reducing dependency and improving social inclusion.

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4. Divyang Sahara Yojana (Support & Assistive Devices)

What It Is: A comprehensive support scheme providing assistive devices, aids, and financial assistance to persons with disabilities.

Who Benefits:

• PwDs with 40%+ disability (certified via Disability Certificate)
• BPL and low-income families with disabled members

Key Features:

• Free distribution of wheelchairs, hearing aids, prosthetics, crutches
• Smart assistive devices (screen readers, AI-powered mobility aids)
• Monthly financial assistance for severely disabled persons
• Home modification grants for accessibility
• Caregiver support allowance

Expected Impact: Direct support to millions of PwDs, improving mobility, independence, and quality of life.

Related: Check our Disability Pension Guide for existing pension benefits.

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5. Biopharma SHAKTI (₹10,000 Crore)

Full Name: Strengthening Healthcare through Affordable Knowledge and Technological Innovation

What It Is: A ₹10,000 crore mission to position India as a global leader in biopharmaceuticals — covering drug discovery, biosimilars, vaccine manufacturing, and clinical research.

Who Benefits:

• Indian pharmaceutical companies and biotech startups
• Research institutions and universities
• Patients (through affordable biosimilars and new drugs)

Key Features:

• ₹10,000 crore allocation over 5 years
• Grants for biosimilar and novel drug development
• New biopharmaceutical research parks in 5 cities
• Fast-track regulatory approvals for clinical trials
• Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) extension for biologics
• Collaboration with WHO and global health agencies

Expected Impact: Strengthen India's position as "pharmacy of the world," create high-skill jobs, and improve access to affordable biologics and vaccines.

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6. Seven High-Speed Rail Corridors

What It Is: Expansion of India's high-speed rail network with 7 new corridors beyond the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, connecting major economic centres.

Who Benefits:

• Daily commuters and business travellers
• Real estate and commercial sectors along corridors
• Construction and engineering workforce

Key Features:

• 7 new high-speed rail corridors connecting Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities
• Speeds of 250–350 km/h
• Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for execution
• Dedicated freight and passenger services
• Green corridor design with solar-powered stations
• Estimated to create lakhs of direct and indirect jobs

Expected Impact: Transform inter-city connectivity, reduce travel times by 60–70%, and catalyse economic development along corridors.

Related: Looking for railway jobs? See our Railway Recruitment Guide.

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7. CCUS Mission (₹20,000 Crore for Carbon Capture)

Full Name: Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage Mission

What It Is: A ₹20,000 crore national mission to develop and deploy Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technology across heavy industries.

Who Benefits:

• Power plants, steel, cement, and refinery sectors
• Clean energy startups and researchers
• India's climate commitments (Net Zero by 2070)

Key Features:

• ₹20,000 crore allocation over the mission period
• Pilot CCUS plants at major thermal power stations
• R&D grants for carbon-to-fuel and carbon-to-chemical technologies
• Carbon credit framework linked to international markets
• Regulatory sandbox for CCUS startups
• Target: capture 50 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by 2035

Expected Impact: Major step toward India's Net Zero target, decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, and create a new clean-tech industry.

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8. University Townships

What It Is: Development of integrated university townships — self-contained academic campuses with housing, research labs, incubation centres, sports facilities, and commercial zones.

Who Benefits:

• Students and faculty of central and state universities
• Researchers and startups in university incubators
• Local economy around township areas

Key Features:

• Integrated townships near existing central universities
• Faculty housing, student accommodation, and research parks
• Industry-academia collaboration zones
• Smart campus infrastructure (Wi-Fi, digital classrooms, green buildings)
• Modelled on global university town concepts

Expected Impact: Improve academic infrastructure, attract global talent, and foster innovation ecosystems around universities.

Related: For education financing, see our Education Loan Guide.

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9. Girls' Hostels Expansion

What It Is: A large-scale expansion of hostel facilities for girl students in colleges and universities to improve female enrollment and retention in higher education.

Who Benefits:

• Girl students in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes
• Students from rural areas and economically weaker sections

Key Features:

• New girls' hostels in every government college with >500 female students
• Safe, modern facilities with security, Wi-Fi, and study rooms
• Priority for colleges in districts with low female GER (Gross Enrollment Ratio)
• Subsidised hostel fees for SC/ST/OBC and EWS students
• Warden and counselling support

Expected Impact: Significantly boost female enrollment in higher education, especially in STEM fields, by removing accommodation barriers.

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10. Medical Tourism Hubs

What It Is: Development of dedicated medical tourism zones near major hospitals to attract international patients and position India as a global healthcare destination.

Who Benefits:

• Private and public hospitals with international accreditation
• Medical professionals and support staff
• Tourism and hospitality sector

Key Features:

• Medical tourism hubs in 5+ cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru)
• Fast-track medical visa processing
• Integrated facilities: hospitals, recovery centres, hotels, transport
• Quality accreditation and pricing transparency mandates
• Ayurveda and wellness tourism integration
• Multi-lingual patient support infrastructure

Expected Impact: India's medical tourism market expected to grow significantly, generating foreign exchange and creating healthcare jobs.

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11. AVGC Labs in 15,000 Schools

Full Name: Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) Labs

What It Is: Setting up AVGC labs in 15,000 schools across India to introduce students to animation, gaming, visual effects, and digital content creation from an early age.

Who Benefits:

• School students (Classes 8–12) across government and aided schools
• Teachers receiving AVGC training
• India's creative and digital economy

Key Features:

• AVGC labs with computers, graphics tablets, and licensed software
• Curriculum integrated with NCERT/state board syllabus
• Teacher training programmes for AVGC instruction
• Industry partnerships with gaming and animation studios
• Annual AVGC competitions and showcases
• Focus on Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and rural schools

Expected Impact: Build a pipeline of creative talent for India's $26 billion AVGC sector, provide career alternatives beyond traditional streams, and democratise access to digital creative tools.

Related: Explore Skill India Mission (PMKVY) for additional vocational training opportunities.

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How These Schemes Connect to Your Finances

The Budget 2026-27 also brought significant income tax changes alongside these schemes. Understanding both helps you plan better:

• Tax Savings: Check our guide on Income Tax Saving Tips under Section 80C to maximise your deductions
• Filing ITR: Use the right form — see Which ITR Form to Use
• GST Impact: New schemes may affect GST on related goods/services — see our GST Return Filing Guide
• Capital Gains: Infrastructure schemes may impact property values — read our Capital Gains Tax Guide

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Important Tips

1. Scheme guidelines are evolving — Official operational guidelines for most new schemes will be notified in the coming months. Bookmark indiabudget.gov.in for updates.
2. Budget announcements ≠ immediate implementation — Most schemes require Cabinet approval, Ministry notifications, and state-level coordination before benefits reach citizens.
3. Check eligibility carefully — Each scheme will have specific eligibility criteria once operational guidelines are published.
4. Beware of scams — Fraudsters may create fake portals claiming to offer early registration for new schemes. Only use official .gov.in websites.
5. Track via PIB — Press Information Bureau (pib.gov.in) publishes authentic updates on all government scheme launches.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. When was Union Budget 2026-27 presented?

A. The Union Budget 2026-27 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2026 in Parliament.

Q2. What is Bharat-VISTAAR scheme?

A. Bharat-VISTAAR is an AI-powered farming initiative that uses artificial intelligence for crop planning, soil health analysis, weather advisories, and supply chain optimisation to help Indian farmers improve yields and reduce costs.

Q3. How much has been allocated for Biopharma SHAKTI?

A. The government has allocated ₹10,000 crore over 5 years for Biopharma SHAKTI to boost India's biopharmaceutical research, biosimilar development, and vaccine manufacturing capabilities.

Q4. What is the CCUS Mission and its budget?

A. The Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Mission has been allocated ₹20,000 crore to develop and deploy carbon capture technology across heavy industries like power, steel, and cement, supporting India's Net Zero 2070 target.

Q5. What are SHE-Marts?

A. SHE-Marts are women-led retail outlets being set up across districts to provide women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups dedicated retail space, training, branding support, and market access.

Q6. How many schools will get AVGC labs?

A. The government plans to set up AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) labs in 15,000 schools across India, focusing on government schools in Tier-2, Tier-3 cities and rural areas.

Q7. Who is eligible for Divyang Kaushal Yojana?

A. Persons with disabilities (all 21 categories under the RPwD Act 2016) aged 15–45 years are eligible. A valid UDID card or disability certificate is required.

Q8. How many high-speed rail corridors are planned?

A. The Budget announced 7 new high-speed rail corridors connecting major economic centres, with trains operating at speeds of 250–350 km/h.

Q9. Where can I find official Budget 2026-27 documents?

A. All official budget documents are available at indiabudget.gov.in. Press releases are published at pib.gov.in.

Q10. When will these new schemes be launched?

A. Budget announcements require subsequent Cabinet approvals and Ministry notifications. Most schemes are expected to become operational within 6–12 months of the budget announcement, with detailed guidelines published on respective Ministry websites.

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Last updated: February 22, 2026. Information sourced from official Union Budget 2026-27 documents at indiabudget.gov.in. CitizenNest is an independent platform and is not affiliated with the Government of India.