India, Jan. 22 -- As the Union Budget 2026-27 approaches, expectations are mounting across India's technology ecosystem for policy measures that go beyond incremental digital expansion and focus on scaling artificial intelligence and deep-tech innovation. While India's digital transformation has gathered pace over the past decade, industry leaders argue that the next phase of growth will hinge on how effectively emerging technologies are deployed across a wider base of enterprises.

A key area of concern is the adoption gap between large enterprises and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Despite contributing significantly to employment and economic output, MSMEs have been slower to integrate advanced technologies such as AI, dat...