By Tarun Kher, Partner– Risk Advisory, BDO India.
“At the cusp of 2026, Indian companies stand at a pivotal moment where economic momentum, regulatory tightening, and global realignment intersect to create rare strategic advantages. The outlook on our economic growth and trade prosperity remains positive, global diplomatic ties are progressing from strength to strength, and global industrial and technological giants continue to make investments in India for setting up manufacturing hubs as well as information data centres.
At the same time, regulatory expectations around privacy, sustainability and environmental & social governance, digital infrastructure, information technology governance, new labour reforms and tax transparency have become far more detailed and their impact on India Inc. would be far more visible in 2026.
While governance and compliance have often been seen as obligations, many of the recent regulatory frameworks coming into force create avenues for strengthening risk and policy foundations and competitive advantage in the year ahead.
For India Inc., 2026 is not merely about meeting regulatory milestones, it is about decoding emerging geo-political and economic risks that will influence capital flows and boardroom strategy making governance not just a necessity, but a strategic lever for resilience and growth.”