The country's economic outlook continues to be fuelled by a sustained emphasis on infrastructure-led development, as reflected in the Union Budget 2026-27, which proposes an increase in public capital expenditure to ~INR 12.2 lakh crore, accounting for ~3.1% of GDP for FY2027. These allocations support initiatives such as lowering India's logistics costs and strengthening its economic corridors, including seven high-speed rail connections identified in the Budget. A pillar of this fiscal strategy is the City Economic Region (CER) framework, designed to harness the shared potential of linked urban centres through seamless infrastructure networks. This programme is supported by a proposed allocation of INR 5,oo0 crore per CER over five years via a reform-linked “challenge” mechanism. Furthermore,the Union Cabinet has approved an INR 1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund to catalyse investments through market-led financing, with central assistance covering up to 25% of project costs, contingent on mobilising private or alternative capitar. To further accelerate private sector participation, recent policy measures have also pivoted towards de-risking mechanisms and credit support structures, seeking to make projects more financially attractive and secure for private investors. Such initiatives align with a broader upward trend in macroeconomic data, which shows India's gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) provision of INR 1.5 lakh crore in 50-year interest-free loans to states—-a long-tenor capital support scheme that expanded the capacity of state and local authorities to deliver infrastructure. By combining these established fiscal foundations with newer market-linked urban investment schemes, the government aims to create a more resilient, de-risked environment for large- India's financial sector enters 2026 with one of its strongest balance sheet positions in decades, supported by asset quality improvement and steady credit expansion. Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) were at multi-year lows of about 2.15% as of September 2025', based on the RBI's stability assessments, while outstanding credit by scheduled commercial banks has increased by 14.5% Y-o-Y as of December 2025. A visible shift underway is the greater use of market-based funding channels alongside traditional bank lending, helping in diversifying sources of capital for corporates and infrastructure projects. Policy measures in the Union Budget 2026-27 also aim to deepen these markets; for instance, the introduction of Total Return Swaps (TRS) on corporate bonds facilitates institutional risk distribution and improves bond market liquidity. Further maturing the landscape, the Securities Market Code, 2025 (currently under Parliamentary Standing Committee review) seeks to consolidate fragmented legacy laws into a unified framework6. These structural reforms, alongside the proposed rationalisation of FEMA rules, are intended to simplify cross-border capital flows and sustainably lower the cost of capital across the economy. Source:1 Union Budget 2026-27, February 2026, 2. PIB, February 2026; 3 NSO and MoSPl, February 2026; 4. RBl's Trends and Progress Report, December 2025, 5. Economic Survey 2025-26, January 2026, 6. The Securities Markets Code, 2025, follwing its introductio in December 2025, proposes to consolidate three legacy acts SEBI Act 1992, SCRA 1956, and Depositories Act 1996) into a unified, principle-based framework. This "Super Code' is designed to enhance protection for India's over 12-crore unique investors and introduces a statutory Securities Market Ombudsperson with quasijudicial powersto pass binding compensation awards,formalising the existing grievance redressal m regime. Key rationalisations include greater flexibility in valuation methodologies—moving away from rigid pricing caps towards internationally accepted standards—and eased requirements for downstream investments and reporting, aimed at reducing regulatory friction for inbound equity capital.