INDIA BUDGET-India raises infrastructure spending by 11.4% to record 12.2 trillion rupees for 2026-27

By Ashwin Manikandan and Komal Salecha

MUMBAI, Feb 1 (Reuters) - India's federal government will spend a record 12.2 trillion rupees ($133.08 billion) on infrastructure in fiscal year 2027, an 11.4% annual rise, as Asia's third-biggest economy pledged to accelerate growth amid a volatile global environment.

India has significantly raised infrastructure spending after the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to boost economic growth and create more jobs in the world's most-populous country. The federal budget, presented on Sunday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, made a fresh bet on the country's manufacturing sector.

The government's capex plan for the ongoing fiscal year ending March 2026 was revised to 10.95 trillion rupees, as per revised estimates in the budget documents. This is lower than the 11.21 trillion rupees earmarked for the year, which was the highest on record back then.

"The capex outlay for fiscal year 2027 looks a bit modest and misses market expectations slightly, but overall, a positive for the manufacturing sector. It will also be good for private sector capex," said Amit Anwani, an analyst at Prabhudas Lilladher.

Shares of capital goods companies such as Larsen & Toubro LART.NS, IRB Infra IRBI.NS, NBCC NBCC.NS, Action Construction ACEL.NS jumped between 1.3% and 4% on higher capex spending and announcements to scale up infrastructure development.

India's economy has so far withstood punitive U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Economic growth for the current fiscal year has been forecast at 7.4%, with the help of government infrastructure spending and income and consumption tax cuts.

($1 = 91.6710 Indian rupees)