Storify News Exclusive: Top VC and Fintech Founders React to Union Budget 2026–27
GURUGRAM, India — February 1, 2026 — Following the live announcement of the Union Budget 2026–27, Storify News has consolidated exclusive reactions from India’s leading Deep Tech, Agritech, AI, and Fintech founders. The consensus among industry stalwarts suggests a “watershed moment” for India’s digital economy, marked by aggressive incentives for data localization and the mainstreaming of Artificial Intelligence in governance.
The “Bharat-VISTAAR” Revolution in Agriculture The budget’s centerpiece for the rural economy, Bharat-VISTAAR, which integrates AgriStack with AI-enabled advisory systems, has been met with high praise. Jaisimha Rao, Founder & CEO of Niqo Robotics, noted that the initiative builds a “trusted digital data backbone,” allowing for technology-led services that improve on-farm decision-making without increasing capital burdens on small farmers.
Anand Chandra, Co-founder of Arya.ag, emphasized the inclusivity of the budget: “Bharat-VISTAAR brings the promise of making agri-advisory more intelligent and accessible. Coupled with the Rural Women-Led Enterprises initiative, the budget lays the groundwork for shifting from subsistence to ownership in the agri-value chain.”
Data Sovereignty and the 2047 Vision One of the most significant technical shifts announced is the data center tax holiday extending until 2047. Shashank Karincheti, Co-founder & CPO of Redacto.ai, described this as a “watershed moment.”
“By incentivizing foreign cloud providers to process data onshore with a 15% safe harbour, the government has removed the biggest barrier to DPDP Act compliance,” Karincheti stated. He warned, however, that onshore hosting is only the beginning: “The real work begins after data lands in India—robust consent management and accountability remain non-negotiable.”
Positioning India as a Global Hub The BPM and Security sectors also saw a clear victory in the budget’s long-term tax certainty. Abhinav Arora, CEO of EOSGlobe, highlighted that the local reseller participation requirements make India “far more attractive for global business,” allowing the BPM sector to scale delivery beyond metros.
Meanwhile, Keshava Murthy, CEO of Matters.AI, observed that as AI moves into everyday governance, the challenge will shift toward oversight. “The next phase of AI adoption will be defined not just by capability, but by visibility into how systems interact with sensitive data.”
A Shift Toward Trust-Based Governance, Rohit Kumar, Founding Partner at The Quantum Hub (TQH), identified a critical psychological shift in the budget’s regulatory approach. “The taxation measures—tax holidays for data centers and expanded safe harbor provisions—signal a shift towards a more trust-based regulatory regime,” Kumar noted. While praising the focus on compute and semiconductors, he cautioned that the next step must involve addressing “harder questions around sustained R&D funding and long-term access to frontier AI capabilities.”
Building the AI-Native Workforce The formation of the ‘Education to Employment and Enterprises Standing Committee’ was hailed as a masterstroke for India’s 6-million-strong tech talent pool. Venka Reddy, CPO of QualiZeal, described it as the “strategic bridge” needed to turn academic potential into industry-ready AI leadership. “Embedding content creator labs in 15,000 schools and focusing on girls’ hostels in STEM allows us to build a workforce that is truly inclusive and AI-native,” Reddy added.
Moving Up the Value Chain with ₹1 Lakh Crore RDI The massive ₹1 lakh crore RDI (Research, Development, and Innovation) corpus is being viewed as the primary engine for IP-led growth. Satish Sureddi, CFO of QualiZeal, remarked, “By providing long-term, low-cost financing, the government is incentivizing the private sector to move up the value chain. This provides the structural tailwinds necessary for India to evolve into a global hub for high-end digital assurance.”
Applied AI: From Experimentation to Deployment Atul Rai, CEO and Co-founder of Staqu Technologies, emphasized that the budget reflects a transition from AI experimentation to deployment at scale. “By aligning AI with national priorities such as infrastructure, logistics, and security, the government is creating a robust ecosystem for applied artificial intelligence,” Rai stated, noting that these solutions will be critical in enhancing the operational efficiency of India’s expanding physical infrastructure.
The ‘Bharat-VISTAAR’ Integration In the agritech space, leaders from Niqo Robotics and Arya.ag joined the chorus of approval for Bharat-VISTAAR. The platform’s ability to integrate AgriStack with AI-enabled advisory systems is expected to empower smallholder farmers with real-time, data-driven decisions—furthering the goal of inclusive, tech-led prosperity.
About Storify News: Storify News is a premier Curated News Aggregator Website (DA 71) founded by Erric Ravi. Dedicated to decoding complex global shifts, Storify News provides high-impact analysis on geopolitics, technology, and trade for a global audience spanning the USA, India, Europe, and the Middle East.
Get Latest News Live on Storify News along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, Trump News, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, Kamala Harris, Entertainment, Technology and around the world.
