Union Budget 2026: What India’s Fintech sector wants from the next wave of reforms

As India’s fintech ecosystem matures from rapid experimentation to large-scale adoption, expectations from Union Budget 2026 are firmly focused on regulatory clarity, digital infrastructure, and capital efficiency. With fintechs now powering everything from payments and lending to wealth tech and embedded finance, industry leaders are looking to the government for policy continuity, tax rationalization, and stronger support for innovation-led growth, especially as global funding tightens and profitability takes center stage.

Read more: From scale to substance: How Fintech shaped 2025 & what 2026 holds next

The Tech Panda asked Fintech industry players what their expectations are from the Union Budget 2026.

Seema Prem, Co-founder & CEO, FIA Global

“Public spending could complement private AI investment to increase rural banking productivity. Budgetary support through grants, co-investment funds, or guarantees can accelerate adoption of AI for vernacular interfaces, fraud detection, and alternative credit models for financial services’ delivery in rural areas ...