The Budget names Creativity as Economic Infrastructure

The Union Budget 2026 did something that the policy language has long avoided. For the first time, the Orange Economy was explicitly flagged as an economic priority, not just cultural soft power. The Budget acknowledged sectors like AVGC, film, design, digital content, and advertising as engines of jobs and skills, announcing creator labs in 15,000 schools and 500 colleges nationwide.This matters because it reframes creativity as structured work, not talent on the margins. The Orange Economy is built on ideas, culture, and intellectual property, aligning naturally with India’s digital, services-led future. By backing labs, pathways, and institutions, the state is signalling that creativity is no longer incidental. It is infrastructure. Something to be designed, scaled, and sustained as part of India’s growth story.

Something to be designed, scaled, and sustained as part of India’s growth story.