Before the Budget 2026 - India’s Tax and Economic Signals

​Why this conversation is happening now

​The Union Budget 2026 is still weeks away.
But the conditions shaping it are already in motion.

​EDGE, in partnership with The Core, is convening a small, in-person discussion to examine the tax and economic signals emerging ahead of the Budget — and what they may indicate for the year ahead.

​This is an off-record conversation, focused on interpretation rather than prediction. The aim is to understand direction, not to react after announcements are made.

​What this session is really about

​Budgets are shaped long before Budget Day.

​Economic momentum, fiscal pressure, market behaviour, and policy intent tend to surface early — often quietly. This session brings together economists and tax practitioners to read those signals together and place them in context.

​The discussion is designed for people who need to make sense of policy before it translates into action.

​Why you should attend

​This session is useful if you need context before decisions are made.

​Participants attend to:

• ​Read early economic and fiscal signals ahead of Union Budget 2026

• ​Understand how tax considerations may affect planning, costs, and capital decisions

• ​Hear how economists and tax practitioners interpret the same data

• ​Test their assumptions against informed perspectives in the room

• ​Gain context that is difficult to pick up from public commentary

​The emphasis is on interpretation, not announcements.

​What this session enables

​Participants typically leave with:

• ​Clearer perspective on the economic direction taking shape

• ​Better sense of where continuity is likely and where change may emerge

• ​Greater confidence in decisions that need to be made before the Budget

• ​Sharper focus on what to monitor once the Budget is presented

​Who will be in the room

​This session is intended for individuals who are directly involved in decision-making, including:

• ​Founders and business owners

• ​CFOs and senior finance leaders

• ​Investors and advisors

• ​Senior professionals involved in strategy, planning, or policy interpretation

​The discussion assumes familiarity with business and economic context.

​What we will examine

​The conversation will focus on:

• ​Early economic cues ahead of Union Budget 2026

• ​Tax considerations that could influence business decisions

• ​Areas where continuity is likely, and where change may be emerging

• ​What leaders should monitor in the months following the Budget

​There will be space for questions and shared perspectives.

​Discussion participants

• ​Uday Pimprikar
  Partner & Indirect Tax Leader, EY India

• ​Ashish Modani
  Senior Vice President & Group Head, ICRA Ltd

• ​Uday Ved
  Tax Partner, KNAV

• ​Garima Kapoor
  Deputy Head of Research & Economist, Elara Securities India Pvt Ltd

• ​Ankur Jain
  Partner & Leader – Regulatory & Business Solutions,
  PwC India

​Hosted by
Govindraj Ethiraj, Founding Editor, The Core & EDGE Member

​How the session is structured

• ​In-person discussion

• ​Attendees selected/curated by EDGE on application basis

• ​Small group

• ​No presentations or panels

• ​Closed-door and off-record: No recording or video allowed

​The format is intentionally simple to allow for focused exchange.

​Session details

​Date: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Time: 8:30–10:00 AM
Location: The Quorum Club, Mumbai