In the Union Budget 2026 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman directly named 14 States. When including cities and locations linked to infrastructure, rail, and heritage projects, 24 distinct States and Union Territories are involved in the Budget's plan. Key sectors highlighted: Industrial and Economic Advances: - Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu will host Rare Earth Corridors for strategic minerals mining and manufacturing. - West Bengal’s Durgapur will become an integrated node in the East Coast Industrial Corridor. - Gujarat sees modernization of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre at Jamnagar. - A new National Institute of Design will launch in the eastern region to boost professional talent. Infrastructure and Connectivity: - Seven high-speed rail corridors will link Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri, across Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. - Odisha’s 20 National Waterways will activate, starting with NW-5 connecting Talcher, Angul, Paradeep, and Dhamra ports. - Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will build ship repair hubs for inland vessels at Varanasi and Patna. Eco-Tourism and Heritage: - Sustainable mountain trails are planned in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir. - Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu will add bird-watching trails at Pulikat Lake and mountain trails in Araku Valley and Podhigai Malai. - Turtle Trails protecting nesting sites will be developed in Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala. - Buddhist Circuits promoting monasteries and pilgrim facilities will start in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura in the North-East. Fiscal and Targeted Support: - The eastern Purvodaya States will receive special focus with new tourism spots and 4,000 e-buses to boost jobs and growth. This broad plan aims to interlink industrial progress, infrastructure, and eco-tourism across India's diverse States and UTs.