Budget 2026: Govt to roll out courses to train ‘Corporate Mitras’ in tier-2, tier-3 cities

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced the government’s plan to develop modular professional courses to train a new cadre of ‘Corporate Mitras’, as part of the Union Budget for FY 2026–27.

In her ninth Budget speech, Sitharaman said the government will work with professional institutions such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), ICMAI and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) to design these courses. The initiative aims to create skilled corporate facilitators in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, improving access to professional and compliance-related support for businesses in smaller towns.

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"Govt will facilitate professional institutes such as ICAI, ICMAI, ICSI to make short term modular courses and practical tools to develop a cadre of corporate mitras in Tier 2 and Tier 3 Towns. These accredited para professionals will help MSMEs to meet compliance requirement at afforable costs," FM Sitharaman said.

The announcement aligns with the broader theme of the Union Budget 2026–27, which is anchored around three key “Kartavya” : accelerating and sustaining economic growth amid volatile global conditions, fulfilling the aspirations of citizens by building their capabilities, and ensuring equitable access to resources, amenities and opportunities across regions and sectors.

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Sitharaman said the government plans to accelerate growth through targeted interventions across six priority areas. These include scaling up manufacturing in seven strategic sectors, rejuvenating legacy industries to improve productivity and competitiveness, creating champion micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), pushing nationwide infrastructure development, ensuring long-term economic and financial stability, and developing city economic regions to drive regional and urban growth.

The Finance Minister also announced the launch of the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 to further strengthen the country’s semiconductor ecosystem. The revamped mission will focus on industry-led research and training centres and will see an enhanced outlay of Rs 40,000 crore.

As part of the manufacturing push, the government will support mineral-rich states such as Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Sitharaman also unveiled a new scheme to help states set up three dedicated chemical parks through a challenge-based route, aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing capabilities.