New Delhi, Feb 1 The FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), an apex body of businesswomen, on Sunday welcomed the Union Budget 2026, and called it a women-centric and MSME-led growth agenda.
The Budget was presented by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament.
Poonam Sharma, President of FLO, said that the Budget sends a clear and confident signal of continuity, credibility, and conviction.
“It balances fiscal discipline with inclusive growth, and places women, MSMEs, and manufacturing at the heart of India’s development journey. For women entrepreneurs and professionals, this Budget is not about short-term sops, but about building long-term capacity, opportunity, and progress,” Sharma said.
Applauding the Budget’s focus on women-led development, Sharma emphasised the creation of a robust care ecosystem, including the training of 1.5 lakh multiskilled caregivers, strengthening allied health institutions, and expanding geriatric and mental health services.
“These initiatives will play a critical role in enabling greater workforce participation by women,” she said.
Other measures, such as girls’ hostels in every district, enhanced access to STEM education, SHE Marts for women entrepreneurs, and targeted support for Divyangjan livelihoods, also reinforce the government’s commitment to people-centric and inclusive growth, Sharma said.
“FICCI FLO welcomes the government’s three-pronged approach to strengthening MSMEs, including the establishment of a Rs 10,000 crore SME Growth Fund, enhanced liquidity through TReDS and credit guarantees, and the introduction of Corporate Mitras to support compliance, especially in Tier II and Tier III towns,” the expert added.
These measures are expected to significantly benefit women-led MSMEs, improving access to finance, reducing procedural burdens, and enabling scale and competitiveness.
Sharma also spoke about the continued thrust on manufacturing, industrial corridors, logistics, clean energy, and public capital expenditure in the Budget.
It “strengthens India’s growth fundamentals and positions the country as a global manufacturing hub. Reforms aimed at ease of doing business, trust-based governance, and simplified tax compliance will particularly support first-generation entrepreneurs and small businesses,” she added.
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