Budget 2026: Govt to create Digital Knowledge Grid to document India’s heritage

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced the creation of a Digital Knowledge Grid to digitally document India’s historical, cultural and tourist assets, a move aimed at preserving heritage while generating new employment opportunities for historians, researchers and content creators.

Presenting the Union Budget 2026–27, Sitharaman said the proposed digital platform would comprehensively map and archive places of historical, cultural and tourism significance across the country, supporting conservation efforts and improving public access through technology-led storytelling.

As part of a broader push to strengthen tourism and hospitality, the Finance Minister proposed setting up a National Institute of Hospitality by upgrading the existing National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology. The institute will function as a bridge between academia, industry and the government, with a focus on improving workforce quality and industry relevance.

The Budget also proposed a pilot programme to upskill 10,000 tourist guides across 20 iconic destinations through a standardised, high-quality 12-week training course delivered in hybrid mode, in collaboration with an Indian Institute of Management.

To enhance cultural tourism, the government plans to develop 15 archaeological sites, including Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, Adichanallur, Sarnath, Hastinapur and Leh Palace into experiential cultural destinations. Excavated landscapes will be opened to visitors through curated walkways, while immersive storytelling tools and technologies will be introduced to support conservation labs, interpretation centres and trained guides.

Sitharaman also announced a scheme for the development of Buddhist circuits across Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. The initiative will focus on preserving temples and monasteries, setting up pilgrimage interpretation centres, improving connectivity and strengthening pilgrim amenities.

In a bid to position India as a global hub for medical tourism, the Finance Minister proposed a scheme to support states in establishing five regional medical hubs in partnership with the private sector. These hubs will integrate medical, educational and research facilities, and will include AYUSH centres, medical value tourism facilitation centres, and infrastructure for diagnostics, post-care and rehabilitation. The hubs are expected to generate employment for doctors and allied health professionals.

The Budget also outlined plans to expand eco-tourism offerings. The government will develop ecologically sustainable mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir, as well as in the Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Podhigai Malai in the Western Ghats. In addition, turtle trails will be developed along nesting sites in Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala, while bird-watching trails will be created around Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.