Union Budget 2026 signals a bigger stage for India’s attention economy

If India’s economy is a story, the Union Budget 2026 makes it clear that advertising, media and entertainment are no longer background characters. They are moving to centre stage. Quietly but confidently, the Budget and the Economic Survey together sketch a future in which screens, stories and sport shape both culture and commerce.

The Economic Survey sets the context. Advertising and broadcasting have decisively moved away from linear television towards mobile and OTT platforms. Digital advertising is now growing faster than traditional formats and contributes nearly one third of the industry’s total revenues. In everyday terms, this means the living room television is no longer the main event. The main event is wherever the phone is.

This digital shift is also powering an invisible boom behind the scenes. Content production, post production, visual effects, dubbing and localisation are witnessing rising demand, with Indian companies now plugged into global distribution networks. A campaign or show created in India today is increasingly designed for a worldwide audience, not just a local one.

Union Budget 2026 builds directly on this momentum through a strong push for the Orange Economy. The government estimates that the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics sector will require around two million professionals by 2030. By supporting AVGC content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges, the Budget is effectively betting on creativity as a future skill rather than a hobby. Tomorrow’s animators and game designers may well be sitting in today’s classrooms.

The Economic Survey underlines why this matters. Video subscription revenues touched ₹9,200 crore in 2024, while the gaming industry surged to ₹232 billion, supported by a large and growing user base. Gaming is no longer a niche pastime, and subscriptions are no longer optional extras. They are everyday habits, and advertisers are following attention wherever it chooses to spend its time.

Another clear signal from the Budget is the growing importance of sport. The launch of the Khelo India Mission aims to transform the sports sector over the next decade by building talent pathways, infrastructure and competitive platforms. For media companies and brands, sport is fast becoming a year round content engine, producing heroes, narratives and loyal audiences far beyond marquee tournaments.

All of this sits within a rapidly expanding market. The Economic Survey estimates India’s media and entertainment industry at around ₹2.5 trillion in 2024, driven by rising incomes, deeper internet penetration and a massive domestic audience.

The message from Budget 2026 is subtle but unmistakable. India’s growth story will be streamed, shared, played and watched. Those who shape attention will shape the economy that follows.

The autor is co-founder and CEO, White Rivers Media.