Goa Exports, UnlockedGoa Exports, Unlocked

Goa Laghu Udyog Bharati, in collaboration with the Global Chamber and World Trade Centre Goa, organised a seminar that brought together insights, opportunities and practical advice to scale Goan exports. GIDC managing director Pravimal Abhishek and B. Pai, managing director of EDC, along with resource persons Santosh Raghavan and Nikhil Sheth, discussed the roadmap for unlocking Goa’s export potential, and underlined how it lies in competitiveness, infrastructure readiness and the collective will of entrepreneurs to seize opportunities.

Margins over headwinds

In today’s unstable geopolitical environment, Pai noted, exporters face the challenge of working with unpredictable tariffs. Yet they continue to pursue exports for the higher margins on offer, earning the country foreign exchange along the way. While India’s foreign affairs are in capable hands, he stressed, the private sector must focus on accelerating exports.

On financing, Goa offers some of the best rates in the country: EDC lends at 1%, and even 0.5% for projects that are structured appropriately, with special incentives for Goan entrepreneurs, women, and those from backward areas. Pai urged entrepreneurs to approach EDC before starting their projects, so they can be guided on capital structures and the most suitable loan options. EDC, he said, views the entrepreneur as the focal point.

The manufacturing surprise

Pravimal Abhishek emphasised a fact that runs against the common perception of tourism as Goa’s leading sector: while manufacturing contributes around 16–17% of India’s GDP, in Goa the figure sits between 25% and 28%. Goa also accounts for 12% of India’s pharmaceutical exports, making it the fourth-largest pharmaceutical exporter in the country. To stay competitive, he argued, Goa must cut the time entrepreneurs spend on regulatory compliance so they can focus on innovation, market research and scaling up.

What GIDC is fixing

GIDC has already moved in this direction, Abhishek said, and the World Bank’s new Business Ready framework, which scores regulatory clarity, public service delivery and infrastructure readiness, gives the effort a scoreboard. If GIDC, financial institutions such as EDC and the banks, and the industrial associations pull together, Goa can unlock substantial export potential.

The port that changes the maths

On infrastructure, Abhishek pointed to the Logistics and Warehousing Policy 2023, under which warehousing and cold-storage facilities are coming up in industrial estates. The bigger unlock is the MPT container terminal, with Delta Ports as the PPP operator, operational from the first week of September. It will reduce dependence on the Nhava Sheva port, open a new chapter for Goa’s exports through MPT, and significantly cut logistics costs.

What Goa ships

One need not be a large manufacturer to export, Raghavan reminded the room; what matters is having the right product and entering the right market. Goa currently exports goods worth $2.48 billion a year, and half of that figure is pharmaceuticals.

His checklist for exporters was practical:

On market selection: study foreign markets carefully, understand customer requirements, assess competitors, and be prepared to compete even with low-cost, lower-priced rivals.

The headroom

Nikhil Sheth put the opportunity plainly. Goa’s share of India’s exports stands at just 0.64%, but with 67% of its population in the working-age group, there is great potential waiting to be tapped. He demonstrated how exporters can use export-specific websites for due diligence on products and markets before venturing into new territories, and representatives from Canara Bank closed the session with the range of financial products available to MSMEs, including seamless trade-credit facilities.

The roadmap for unlocking Goa’s export potential lies in competitiveness, infrastructure readiness, and the collective will of its entrepreneurs to seize the moment.