As India prepares for Union Budget 2026, infrastructure leaders are calling for a shift from building more projects to improving the quality of existing ones. ULCCS Chairman Remeshan Palery outlines what he believes the Budget should prioritise next.
“As India looks towards the Union Budget 2026, the emphasis must decisively shift from expanding infrastructure at scale to strengthening its quality, efficiency and long-term impact. Strong utilisation of capital expenditure in roads and railways reflects a system that is capable of delivery. The next phase should therefore focus on extracting deeper economic value through better design, faster execution and future-ready assets that support productivity and human capital development. With over 12,000 km of national highways being added annually, logistics efficiency is already improving, and the opportunity now lies in maximising returns from this investment through smarter, more sustainable infrastructure.
From an industry standpoint, Budget 2026 should support institutions that combine execution discipline with innovation. At ULCCS, a 100-year-old, worker-owned organisation, we have consistently delivered complex public infrastructure by balancing cost efficiency, skill development and social responsibility. Through our future-ready construction arm, U-Sphere, we are advancing modular construction, pre-engineered structures and digital project oversight to deliver projects faster and with a lower environmental footprint. We believe policy focus on sustainability-linked incentives, faster approvals, skill-aligned training and support for modern construction technologies will accelerate this transition. This approach will help translate infrastructure investment into durable assets, skilled jobs and inclusive economic outcomes, setting the tone for India’s next phase of infrastructure-led growth.”
