New Delhi, Feb 1 Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday welcomed the infrastructure push in the Union Budget 2026-27, saying these initiatives reflect a vision that infrastructure is "an enabler of resilience, opportunity, and global competitiveness".
He said that these new announcements place infrastructure at the centre of India's journey towards the resolution of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a powerful thrust on infrastructure development in her Union Budget speech for 2026-27, emphasising sustained public investment to drive economic growth and balanced regional progress.
In his response, Gadkari, in a post on X, said: "Union Budget 2026 places infrastructure at the heart of India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047. With a clear focus on connectivity, manufacturing depth, and regional balance, the budget outlines a decisive push to build world-class, future-ready infrastructure."
In the transformational connectivity sector, he mentioned the 20 new National Waterways, which will "strengthen logistics and inter-regional mobility". He said that seven high-speed railway corridors will "enhance passenger and freight efficiency".
Gadkari further stated that dedicated Rare Earth Corridors in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu will support critical mineral supply chains and strategic industries.
In the field of infrastructure for manufacturing and strategic sectors, he said that initiatives have been introduced to "scale up domestic manufacturing in frontier and strategic areas".
In order to do this, he said, the budget proposes biopharma SHAKTI to strengthen life sciences infrastructure; India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 to deepen chip manufacturing and ecosystem capacity; Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme to reinforce value-chain integration; three dedicated Chemical Parks for cluster-based industrial growth, and a scheme to revive 200 legacy industrial clusters, unlocking productivity and employment.
The Union Minister said that the budget presents urban infrastructure as a growth engine.
"Recognising the expanding role of Tier II and Tier III cities, the government will continue prioritising infrastructure development in cities with populations above 5 lakh -- many of which are fast emerging as new growth centres, innovation hubs, and employment anchors," he said.
"Together, these initiatives reflect a clear vision: infrastructure not just as physical assets, but as an enabler of resilience, opportunity, and global competitiveness," he added.
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