Panaji: State-owned National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) and other major enterprises are expected to announce substantial infrastructure investments, including data centres and an artificial intelligence city, at the upcoming Vibrant Goa Global Business Summit 2026.The summit centres on foreign direct investment and export partnerships, with a focus on Africa.The three-day trade event opens on Oct 29 at Goa University, and officials expect delegates to sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and formalise capital commitments during the investor panels. The summit organisers have invited Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with Tamil Nadu governor Rajendra Arlekar, to address the entrepreneurship conclave.“Africa is the next great market for Indian enterprise, and Goa has always been a port that faces the world,” said Summit Arman Bankley, co-chairman of the Vibrant Goa Global Business. “This year, African businesses are not coming to look around. They come with sourcing lists and investment mandates, and we have matched them with Indian sellers before they land. Goa’s seafaring history becomes a trade corridor again.”The India-Africa Business Conclave will link Indian companies with policymakers and investors from over 30 African nations seeking opportunities in eight sectors, including healthcare and infrastructure.The summit will showcase work on the Goa Happiness Index, said Rajkumar Kamat, president of the Vibrant Goa Foundation.Kamat said at least 300 management students will be paired with international delegates and buyers as part of the Student Buddy Programme. “They guide them through the summit and see global business up close. A buddy who spends three days beside a buyer from another continent learns how a deal is negotiated, how a product is pitched and how an export order is won. The aim is to plant the idea that the student could start that business, not just work for one,” said Kamat.
