Panaji: The Goa Investment Promotion Board (IPB) signed nine MoUs worth Rs 8,600 crore at the Vibrant Goa Global Business Summit, chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Saturday. He said the investment proposals could generate 5,000 jobs across artificial intelligence (AI), data centres, hospitality, energy, logistics, healthcare and other industrial sectors.Sawant said he met with delegates from other countries and business leaders during the summit, with discussions focusing on data centres, AI technology, and educational institutions.At the valedictory session, he urged investors to look beyond the state’s usual hubs. “Look beyond Panaji and Calangute. Look at the hinterland. What we need now is capital and confidence. To every buyer, to every investor present here I extend a simple invitation to invest in Goa,” he said.Calling MSMEs the state’s growth engine, Sawant said export-focused schemes would be fast-tracked to ensure swift implementation. He urged foreign investors to consider Goa for export-oriented businesses, adding that the government would facilitate investments through responsive governance and industry-friendly policies, while keeping processes predictable.The summit also saw a large number of business-to-business meetings. A reverse buyer-seller meet was organised under the RAMP scheme by the directorate of industries, trade and commerce. “We are not merely announcing schemes; we are handing over market access, and the reverse buyer-seller meet is the perfect example. We did not ask our small manufacturer to go and search for the buyers in distant places. We brought the big buyer here to the Goan seller,” Sawant said.He said the Mukhyamantri Export Initiation Scheme, announced in the budget, would be fast-tracked and implemented through the directorate of industries. The scheme, he added, will provide MSMEs with handholding from the first inquiry to the first consignment shipment delivery, and support them through a sustained export journey.“Our goal is to have 500 MSME export champions by 2037 in Goa. On ease of doing business, Goa stands among the top states in the country with robust connectivity, industrial parks and electronic manufacturing cluster,” Sawant said.He also welcomed a proposal to host a defence conclave in Goa focused on coastal security, drone technology and defence manufacturing. “My govt will fully support it. Come to us with the dates, and our departments will expedite this. Build here for the next decade. Govt that is willing to be the first customer for the good Goan ideas,” he said.
