As the Union Budget 2026 approaches, experts are increasingly calling for a stronger focus on sectors that directly impact women’s workforce participation. Shruti Madhavan, Senior Vice President at KLAY Preschools and Daycare, has shared her expectations for the upcoming budget, urging policymakers to extend their support beyond nutrition and health to include Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC).
Madhavan expressed her hope that the budget will address the evolving needs of the care economy. “With increasing emphasis on women’s workforce participation across industries, we expect that the upcoming Budget prioritises Early Childhood Education and Care, rather than limiting support to nutrition and health alone,” she said. She emphasised that targeted support and subsidies for organisations and government bodies involved in the care economy are crucial to sustaining this momentum and ensuring that more women can actively contribute to the workforce.
For the successful implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Madhavan highlighted the importance of hands-on, experience-based learning in the early years. “For NEP 2020 to be implemented effectively, learning in the early years needs to be more hands-on and experience-based. This requires the government to allocate funds to make investments in training teachers and early childcare workers, especially those caring for children under six,” she said. She further advocated for the recognition of early childhood education and care as essential social infrastructure, akin to healthcare and insurance.
Madhavan also called for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to scale quality childcare services. “Stronger public–private partnerships can further support this labour-intensive sector by helping to scale affordable, high-quality childcare, particularly in urban centres where the needs of working families continue to grow,” she noted. Such partnerships, she believes, can play a key role in addressing the childcare demands of growing urban populations.
In conclusion, Madhavan’s call for more comprehensive support for Early Childhood Education and Care underscores the need for policies that recognise the care economy’s vital role in empowering women and supporting the workforce.
