Budget 2026: Women CEOs Push for Scale, Credit & Workforce Equity

By: WE Staff

Achal Khanna, CEO, SHRM APAC & MENA: Armed with over three decades of global leadership experience, driving growth, building inclusive workplaces, and shaping HR and business ecosystems across APAC and MENA.

From the industry’s point of view, the expectation from this Budget is fairly simple: address the issues that slow us down every day. The IT and BPM sector continues to employ a very large workforce, but one area that needs sharper focus is the entry-level talent pipeline. Companies are hiring, but the gap between academic learning and actual workplace requirements is still wide. New hires often take longer to become fully productive, which adds to training costs. Budget support for structured apprenticeships and industry-linked internships can help bridge this gap practically, particularly for candidates from smaller towns where talent exists but exposure is limited.

Another area that deserves attention is the entry-level talent pipeline. BPM firms are still hiring in significant numbers, but there is a visible gap between academic learning and workplace readiness. Recruits often take time to adapt to live delivery environments, which increases training costs and slows productivity in the early months. Budget-backed apprenticeship and industry-linked internship programmes can help address this in a very practical way. This becomes especially relevant for candidates from smaller towns, where talent is available in abundance but exposure to enterprise-scale operations is limited.

From an operational perspective, the industry is seeking stability more than incentives. Issues such as delayed GST refunds, overlapping compliance requirements, and occasional ambiguity around tax treatment continue to affect cash flows and planning, particularly for BPM companies servicing international clients. These challenges are well known, but even incremental simplification would ease pressure on businesses and allow leadership teams to focus more on delivery quality, expansion, and workforce development.

The Budget should also reflect how work has permanently changed in this sector. Remote and hybrid models are now embedded in day-to-day BPM operations. Continued investment in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity is essential to maintain service reliability and client confidence, while also enabling companies to tap talent beyond traditional urban centres.

Finally, there is growing recognition that employee well-being is directly linked to performance and retention. High-volume, high-intensity work environments take a toll over time. Acknowledging this reality and supporting healthier, more sustainable workplaces will help build long-term resilience across the industry.