E-Paper
'Bilkul time waste': Ashneer Grover says Budget 2026 reminded him of his remarks on Shark Tank
Budget 2026: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget in the Parliament on Sunday.
Entrepreneur Ashneer Grover, best known for his stint as a judge on Shark Tank India, has reacted to the Union Budget 2026, describing it as “bilkul time waste”. His post on X comes hours after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered a Budget speech in Parliament on Sunday.
In his tweet, Grover said, “This budget reminded of my rebuke on Shark Tank to one of the pitchers: ‘Bilkul time waste kiya aapne - apna bhi aur humara bhi !’”
Take a look at the post below:
(Also Read: 'Holy moly!': Bengaluru CEO reacts to Budget 2026 announcement on Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB))
How did social media react to Ashneer Grover’s post?
Several users agreed with Grover, calling the Budget 2026 a “total time waste.”
“Agree with you total time waste budget,” commented one user.
“True. 1.5 hours of absolute disappointment!” wrote another.
“Sunday barbad,” remarked one user, while another wrote, “Budget was ok.”
(Also Read: Budget reactions LIVE: Opposition remains unimpressed; CEOs hope for positive impact)
Union Budget 2026
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget in the Parliament on Sunday. In her speech, she pushed for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and made a series of announcements expected to boost the economy and provide relief to consumers and common taxpayers. But the biggest takeaway was that the Income Tax slabs remain unchanged.
The Finance Minister also proposed to reduce the TCS (Tax Collected at Source) rate from 5% to 2% for education and medical education under the liberalised remittance scheme. She even announced plans to scale up manufacturing across seven key sectors, alongside a renewed push on infrastructure, among other things.
(Also Read: Income Tax Budget 2026 LIVE: No change in tax slabs, new act to come into effect from April 1)
How did others react to Budget 2026?
Reactions to this year’s budget have been mixed. While the opposition has expressed disappointment, several key industrialists and CEOs have appreciated the Budget’s focus on healthcare, semiconductors and technology.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that the Budget 2026 did not carry anything for the middle class and the lower middle class. West Bengal chief minister accused the government of wanting to “destroy the economic structure of the country”.
Meanwhile, Fortis Healthcare's Managing Director & CEO, Dr Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, said that the Budget “sends a strong and timely signal that healthcare is central to India’s growth and resilience.” Saurabh Agarwal, tax partner at EY India said, “Budget 2026 shifts India’s focus toward becoming a global manufacturing powerhouse. Schemes like ISM 2.0, addition of budget in ECMS, bio-pharma, heavy construction machinery and VGF for domestically manufactured sea-planes create vital demand.”
