Union Budget 2026 | FM Pitches Tier-2, Tier-3 Cities As New Growth Engines, Announces 7 High-Speed Rail Corridors

Union Budget 2026 | Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said cities are India’s engines of growth, innovation, and opportunity, announcing a major Budget 2026–27 push for tier-2, tier-3 cities and temple towns. She unveiled plans to develop City Economic Regions (CERs), with a proposed allocation of ₹5,000 crore per CER over five years through a reform- and results-based challenge mechanism. To boost sustainable urban mobility and economic integration, the budget also proposes seven high-speed rail corridors linking major city clusters, aimed at strengthening agglomeration benefits, improving connectivity, and unlocking the growth potential of emerging urban centres. 

Union Budget 2026 Live Update