Laghu Udyog Bharati’s MSME Adhiveshan in Goa
September 9, 2026
The LEAN Advantage: How MSMEs Can Cut Waste and Build Scale
September 9, 2026
A seminar roadmap for taking Goan goods to the world: the financing, the port, and the numbers behind the state’s export story.
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.
