Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that reforms are under way to make Goa an easy place for business houses to start and do business. He said that industrial policies aim to attract Rs 20,000 crore in investment and generate 30,000 jobs.At the Vibrant Goa Global Business Summit 2026, Sawant said that govt wants to welcome eco-friendly, green industries, as well as businesses focused on innovation, technology, and research. He said that the directorate of industries, trade and commerce is actively coordinating with all stakeholders to provide any support they may require moving forward.“We have deliberately re-written the rules to make Goa one of the easiest places in India to do business,” Sawant told importers and exporters from several countries.He said that many pharma companies and electronics and food processing companies have chosen Goa as the manufacturing base because of “trust in govt’s policies”.Talking about the outcome of the Goa Industrial Growth and Investment Promotion Policy, which had set a target of Rs 20,000 crore investment and 30,000 jobs, the CM said that since 2014, govt has approved 250 investment proposals with Rs 16,094 crore investment and 46,000 jobs.While Sawant claimed that the Goa Investment Promotion Board single-window system delivers “time bound clearance with no physical touch point”, local industrialists said that this was far from the truth, with clearances taking more than six months and frequent follow-ups with different departments.The three-day Vibrant Goa Summit has participation from over 50 countries, with more than 500 foreign delegates expected to be in attendance. Several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be inked over the coming days.During the summit, there will be a series of business-to-business meetings, govt-industry deliberations, and the signing of various agreements which could lead to investment in Goa.Sawant said that every scheme implemented in Goa has a national vision behind it.“The Mukhyamantri export incentive scheme and MSME facilitation centres are opening the doors to the global market. For those who dream big, the budget has offered the general tax holiday in full SGST reimbursement for five years and stamp duty waiver to the industry investing more than 5000 crores,” said the CM.Hero Enterprise chairperson Sunil Kant Munjal offered a note of caution, saying that while Goa has invested heavily in connectivity and infrastructure development, the state needs to focus on social and cultural infrastructure. He said that Goa has begun to attract talent from the creative industry and is slowly becoming known as a centre for events, conferences and culture.“Don’t grow industry at any cost, grow industry sustainably,” said Munjal while calling for a partnership between civil society, industry and govt.NSE managing director and chief executive officer Ashishkumar Chauhan, who was also present at the event, said that capital markets help in unlocking entrepreneurial potential. Chauhan said he envisioned a Goa where ideas find support, entrepreneurs find opportunity, MSMEs scale new heights, and capital fuels productive enterprise.
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