Union Budget 2026: AI Set for Major Focus, Transforming Public Life

• Union Budget 2026 is expected to heavily prioritize Artificial Intelligence (AI), with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman likely to give it special attention.
• The government aims to position AI as a tool for enhancing performance and improving daily lives, rather than a job-eliminating technology, focusing on productivity across sectors.
• AI-based policies are anticipated in healthcare for early disease detection via diagnostic devices and in agriculture for advisory platforms and crop yield prediction.
• The budget may promote AI as a "people-friendly technology" to simplify government schemes, taxes, and financial calculations for ordinary citizens through chatbots.
• Support for India's indigenous semiconductor ecosystem is expected to increase, alongside potential tax reliefs like higher home loan interest exemptions and medical insurance premium deductions for the public.

Why It Matters: Budget 2026 will significantly integrate AI into economic and social policies, aiming for public welfare and economic stability.