The FM mentioned in her Budget speech that Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala will develop Turtle Trails to protect and promote nesting sites.
| Photo Credit: Asit Kumar
In her Union Budget 2026 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman explicitly named 14 States. However, when accounting for the States and Union Territories associated with the 27 specific cities and locations highlighted for infrastructure, rail, and heritage projects, the total reaches to 24 distinct States/UTs directly involved in the Budget’s roadmap.
The mentions of various States/UTs in the Union Budget 2026 speech were focused on the following sectors:
Industrial and Economic Advancements
• Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu: These States will host dedicated Rare Earth Corridors to enhance the mining, processing, and manufacturing of strategic minerals.
• West Bengal: The town of Durgapur is set to be developed as an integrated node within the East Coast Industrial Corridor.
• Gujarat: The Budget provides for the modernisation of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar to support advanced research.
• Eastern Region: To bridge the gap in professional talent, a new National Institute of Design will be established through a competitive challenge route.
Infrastructure and Connectivity
• High-Speed Rail Networks: Seven corridors will serve as growth connectors, linking hubs including Mumbai-Pune (Maharashtra), Pune-Hyderabad (Telangana), Hyderabad-Bengaluru (Telangana/Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Delhi-Varanasi (Delhi/Uttar Pradesh), and Varanasi-Siliguri (Uttar Pradesh/West Bengal).
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• Odisha: The government will initiate the operationalisation of 20 National Waterways, starting with NW-5, connecting industrial hubs like Talcher and Angul and the ports of Paradeep and Dhamra
• Uttar Pradesh and Bihar: A specialised ship repair ecosystem for inland vessels will be created at Varanasi and Patna.
Eco-Tourism and Heritage Initiatives
• Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir: These northern regions will see the development of sustainable mountain trails.
• Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu: New bird-watching trails are proposed for Pulikat Lake, alongside mountain trails in the Araku Valley and Podhigai Malai.
• Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala: These coastal States will develop Turtle Trails to protect and promote nesting sites.
• North-Eastern States: A major scheme for Buddhist Circuits will be launched in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, focusing on monastery preservation and pilgrim facilities.
Fiscal Devolution and Targeted Support
• Purvodaya States: There is a dedicated focus on the eastern belt to generate employment through five new tourism destinations and the deployment of 4,000 e-buses
Source: Budget Documents
Published – February 01, 2026 03:35 pm IST
