Rajasthan Budget 2025-26: What Do Business Leaders, Economists, and Startup Founders Expect?

As part of a special initiative, the Rajasthan government invited public suggestions for the upcoming 2025-26 budget. This initiative has been praised by startup founders, entrepreneurs, renowned business leaders, and economists, who have shared key expectations from the budget. The government’s goal is to shape policies that promote a “Developed Rajasthan” with a green budget and sustainability at its core—areas where these stakeholders will play a vital role.

Significant economic reforms announced last year have boosted not only economic growth but also job creation, agricultural improvements, women’s empowerment, and infrastructure development.

Leaders of Rajasthan’s startup ecosystem have called for increased financial support and the implementation of startup-friendly policies. Entrepreneurs particularly emphasised the need for tax incentives for startups, an investment-friendly climate, and innovation-promoting schemes.

Business leaders in the state have demanded infrastructure development in industrial zones, improvements in logistics, and policies that ease business operations. They are urging the government to establish new industrial parks to attract investors and generate employment opportunities.

Entrepreneurs also stressed the need to expand skill development programs tailored to industry demands. This, they believe, will not only create jobs but also strengthen the state’s economy.

Women entrepreneurs expect the government to launch specific financial schemes and training programs that can help them run their businesses successfully and become self-reliant.

Speaking to YourStory’s founder and CEO Shradha Sharma, Maska founder Chidatman Jain said, “There is a lack of food-agri tech parks in the state. The government should work towards developing such parks to enable the export of food-agri products, which can significantly boost the state's economy.”

Sharing his recommendations for the state budget, AU Small Finance Bank founder and CEO Sanjay Agarwal said, “Rajasthan is rich in resources. The state contributes around 4% to the national GDP; with rigorous policy efforts, this can be increased to 6-10%. The state has immense tourism potential. The government should include provisions to collaborate with private entities to further enhance this sector. Industrialisation must be promoted alongside support for SMEs and MSMEs. Continuous improvements in the ‘Rajasthan Investment Policy’ are commendable and should be widely promoted. People should be provided with more employment opportunities.”

Former High Commissioner to Canada, Vikas Swarup, noted, “Rajasthan is the largest state in terms of area and faces serious climate change issues. The government must take steps to address these, with specific provisions in the budget. The focus on a green and sustainable budget is highly commendable.”

Sajjan Singh Yadav, Additional Secretary, Government of India, said, “I appreciate the state government’s unique initiative. A green budget is a great step. Rajasthan has vast potential for solar and wind energy. More efforts are needed to promote clean energy. Through the Hydrogen Mission, green energy can be developed. Policies offering incentives and subsidies for electric vehicles should also be introduced.”

Retired IPS officer M.L. Kumawat recommended hiring more teachers and focusing on developing world-class colleges and universities to improve the education sector.

Retired Deputy Secretary Dr. Prabhu suggested income tax relief for the middle-income group and retired employees.

Kapxha Dynamics founder Neetiman Mathur noted, “The state government made key announcements in the last budget to support startups via the iStart program and successfully implemented them. It has focused on technology for employment creation through initiatives like the AVGC-XR Policy (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics–Extended Reality Policy).”

Sizifi founder and CEO Jitendra Singh said, “The government is sparking entrepreneurship through the iStart program. Our startup received funding under this initiative. The government should now focus on sectors like IoT, electronics, green tech, and deep tech. These sectors need greater fund allocation in the budget.”

KoochiOrganics co-founder Bisman Singh said, “The government must take stringent steps to reduce carbon and plastic usage. Specific provisions should be made in the budget for this, and awareness needs to be raised.”

Dooper Health founder Prachir Beriwal said, “Startups are receiving tremendous support through the iStart program. The healthcare sector must be a top priority in this year’s budget to ensure quality healthcare access for every citizen.”

Dr Earth Packing Solutions founder Mohak Vyas added, “The government should reduce dependence on plastic and promote green products. Startups working in this sector need support.”

Real estate professional Vikram Arya stated, “Road and highway infrastructure in the state is good. Startups are shifting from Gurugram to Jaipur because of available talent. Large companies are opening warehouses here. Tourism is also booming. The government should allocate more funds to these sectors and create policies to improve ease of doing business.”

Vijay Gautam, working in mutual funds and insurance, emphasised, “India is known globally for its IT services. The state government should focus on this sector. Establishing Special Economic Zones (SEZs) could attract global giants like Microsoft and Amazon. This would improve both employment and the state’s economy.”

IntelliNexus partner Manvendra Prasad suggested focusing on urban governance, infrastructure, and road, rail, and air connectivity.

Businessman Nakshatra Sen recommended budget provisions that help new companies secure government tenders and called for a greater focus on promoting entrepreneurship.

Earthlink Properties founder Neeraj Khandelwal urged the government to prioritise tourism and hospitality in the budget. He praised past infrastructure and road connectivity initiatives.

Anil Kumar Nimrot from the Education Department stressed the importance of improving education, healthcare, and security, recommending increased budget allocations and free medical treatment provisions.

Journalist Arvind Chotia highlighted progress in preventing exam paper leaks and advocated for strengthening this system further. He recommended forming an “Anti-Paper Leak Task Force” and called for increased employment initiatives and programs like "Rising Rajasthan" to boost entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneur Rajesh Joshi suggested that the government promote sustainability and climate tech startups.

Author, agriculture and wildlife expert Shivraj Pal Singh pointed out that stray animals cause 20-30% crop loss during the season. He recommended the state provide fencing clusters and open more cow shelters in villages. Passing a special bill for this could help improve crop yields and farmers’ income by 20%.

Zefmo co-founder and CEO Shudeep Majumdar said, “The state has enormous tourism potential and a strong talent base. The government should open more incubation centers and provide funding support for startups. The iStart program is a commendable initiative.”

Assistant Professor Dr. Vineet Sharma emphasised the need to improve primary education and school infrastructure. He called for policies focused on raising education standards in rural areas.

Accenture consultant Mukund Marothia praised the government’s efforts in education and healthcare. He appreciated the budget allocation for medical education and the announcement to open medical colleges in every district. He recommended more funding for health services and technical institutes for youth upskilling. He also stressed the need for more efforts in climate change and sustainability, greater EV subsidies, and policies supporting the "One District-One Product" (ODOP) scheme, which benefits artisans through global promotion of Rajasthan’s handicrafts and art products.

Businessman Shashwat Gupta suggested further improvement of roads and addressing rising parking issues in cities. He advocated for policies that enhance the ease of doing business.

Deutsche Bank Director Pankaj Ojha recommended more investment in Centers of Excellence for AI and ML. He said the budget should allocate more funds for startups and encourage startups from other states to open offices and headquarters in Rajasthan to boost employment and improve the state’s economy.

The Rajasthan government’s pre-budget consultation process makes it evident that the state is moving towards inclusive development. Startup founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders are hopeful that their expectations will be incorporated into the budget, further strengthening Rajasthan’s economic landscape.