Dubai: The Indian Business & Professional Council (IBPC Dubai), in collaboration with the Taxation Society and India Club, hosted a high-impact edition of its India Dialogue Series alongside the live viewing of India’s Union Budget 2026–27. 

The session brought together business leaders, professionals, investors and members of the Indian diaspora in the UAE to decode the Budget’s implications for cross-border trade, investment flows and enterprise growth along the Indo-UAE corridor.

Anchored by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s articulation of the Budget as a ‘Yuva Shakti’-driven roadmap, discussions highlighted a three-pronged national strategy focused on sustaining structural reforms, strengthening a resilient financial sector and accelerating adoption of next-generation technologies, including artificial intelligence.

The scale and ambition of Budget 2026–27 resonated strongly with UAE-based Indian businesses. Key announcements included a ₹12.2 lakh crore capital expenditure allocation for FY27, a ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund (approximately USD 110 million), and a renewed infrastructure thrust encompassing 7 high-speed rail corridors and the operationalisation of 20 new national waterways over the next five years. Participants noted that continued investment in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, the creation of city economic regions, and the scaling up of manufacturing across strategic sectors would significantly expand sourcing, partnership and investment opportunities for companies operating between India and the UAE.

Commenting on the broader fiscal direction, Siddharth Balachandran, Chairman, IBPC Dubai, said, “In the words of the IMF, India sets the tone for the fiscal future of the world. This reform-oriented budget introduces bold and, in some cases, surprising changes to the tax regime. The impact of these measures will be felt over the coming months as they begin to reshape investor sentiment, business confidence, and long-term economic growth.”
Representing the Taxation Society were Chairman Naveen Sharma and President Nimish Makvana. 

A post-Budget expert panel, moderated by Dr Sahitya Chaturvedi, brought together S Venkatesh, Founder and Managing Partner, MCA Gulf; Piyush Jhunjhunwala, CEO, Stockify Fintech; Dixit Jain, Founder & CEO, The Tax Experts DMCC; and Sumit Duseja, Co-founder & CEO, Truemind Capital, for an in-depth discussion on the fiscal and regulatory measures shaping opportunities for overseas investors.

The panel examined key reforms such as the permission for foreign individuals to directly invest in Indian equities, the introduction of a 15% common safe harbour for IT and R&D services, a tax holiday until 2047 for foreign cloud and data centre service providers, and enhanced clarity on TDS provisions for non-resident property transactions. Speakers noted that these measures signal a decisive shift toward predictability, growth and long-term stability.

Widespread positive tax reforms, including NRI-specific provisions, tax exemptions for data centres and several compliance-easing initiatives, were highlighted as major strengths of the Budget. These included extended timelines for filing revised returns until 31 March and a one-time six-month foreign asset disclosure window for small taxpayers. For NRIs, long-standing challenges related to property sale compliance have been streamlined, while TCS on health and education remittances has been reduced from 5% to 2%, significantly easing financial planning and cross-border transactions.

Experts also underscored the 9% increase in infrastructure spending, describing it as both essential and encouraging, with strong expectations of increased foreign capital inflows. The consensus characterized Budget 2026–27 as fiscally sound, progressive and growth-oriented, with a clear emphasis on stability, long-term planning and investor confidence.
Reflecting on the broader national vision, Dr Sahitya Chaturvedi described the Budget as a “Viksit Bharat Budget”, aligned with a multi-year roadmap toward Viksit Bharat 2047. He emphasized its focus on strengthening MSMEs as key growth drivers, accelerating innovation-led sectors, promoting AI adoption, and empowering India’s youth, while demonstrating fiscal maturity through calibrated revenue and tax reforms.

The dialogue also surfaced actionable insights for investors and entrepreneurs, including early participation in companies providing data and digital services, aligned with India’s long-term infrastructure and digital ambitions. Panellists reiterated that “what is good for India and Indians is good for NRIs,” noting that the renewed policy focus and respect accorded to MSMEs positions them as a central engine of future growth.

During the event, the IBPC Dubai annual ProBiz souvenir was officially launched, marking another step toward strengthening professional and business collaboration within the Indo-UAE ecosystem.