The Union Budget 2026-27 promises growth through science, unveiling big plans for biopharma, semiconductors, and climate missions. A key highlight is the new Biopharma SHAKTI program with ₹10,000 crore funding for five years. It aims to fight non-communicable diseases and boost India’s biologics and biosimilars production. However, experts caution that past years show a different story. Funding for the Department of Biotechnology has repeatedly been cut or underspent, slipping from a ₹2,683.86 crore budget estimate in 2023-24 to actual spending of ₹1,467.34 crore. The Department of Science and Technology faced similar reductions. L.S. Shahisdhara, director of the National Centre for Biological Sciences, says funding shortfalls and delays in transitioning research bodies have hurt progress. He fears Biopharma SHAKTI, if run mainly by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, may focus too much on manufacturing and ignore basic life science research. He urges more involvement of the broader science community and smoother fund flows. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research chief N. Kalaiselvi praises the budget as a strong push for science with new missions in semiconductors, carbon capture, and critical minerals. IIT-M Professor T. Pradeep welcomes the focus on infrastructure but says the budget mainly outlines policies, with real money for sectors expected later. Some scientists, like C.P. Rajendran of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, point out that basic research funding remains weak. India’s spending on R&D remains around 0.64-0.7% of GDP, which effectively shrinks after inflation. He highlights delayed fund releases promised in previous budgets. Panjab University Vice-Chancellor Renu Vig supports the budget’s push for university townships but wants legacy state universities included, not sidelined. Overall, the budget spells big ambitions for science growth but experts say timely and adequate delivery of funds remains the crucial challenge.