The Goa State Budget 2026-27, presented by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant with the vision of ‘Viksit Goa 2037’, is a comprehensive and forward-looking financial blueprint that touches upon all critical sectors of the economy. With a total budget size of Rs 30,195 crores — comprising Rs 21,970 crores in revenue expenditure and Rs 8,225 crores in capital expenditure — this is the State’s fifth consecutive revenue surplus budget, with a surplus of Rs 1,666 crores.
The fiscal deficit is projected at Rs 3,895 crores, well within the 3% of GSDP limit prescribed under the FRBM Act. What stands out particularly in this budget is the strong and structural focus on the MSME sector and women’s empowerment, two pillars that are essential for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
MSME SECTOR: NEW INITIATIVES
The budget introduces several landmark measures for the MSME ecosystem. The ‘Chief Minister’s MSME Innovate Scheme 2026’ is a welcome addition, designed to support research and development, intellectual property creation, incubation, seed capital, skill development, and operational support for MSMEs.
This is complemented by the ‘Mukhyamantri Export Incentive Scheme’, which provides Rs 4 lakh per year for two years to 50 MSMEs to promote exports on a first-come-first-serve basis — a practical step towards integrating Goan enterprises into the global supply chain.
A significant symbolic and administrative shift is the renaming of the Directorate to ‘MSME, Industries, Trade and Commerce’, signalling that MSMEs are no longer an afterthought, but a central priority of the government. The proposed Integrated Single Window Approval portal and Unified Digital Platform for all MSME-related services will greatly simplify compliance and investment processes.
The establishment of an IPO Cell within the Industries Department to guide Goan SMEs towards public listing is a particularly progressive move that could unlock new avenues of growth capital for the sector.
The creation of a Special Support Window for first-generation entrepreneurs, women-led and youth-led MSMEs, offering financial facilitation, skilling and handholding, addresses a critical gap in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Additionally, the Goa Startup Policy with four new schemes, the expansion of the Startup Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) across all talukas — making Goa the only state in the country with full SVEP coverage — and the development of community enterprise clusters under the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, collectively create a robust support architecture from grassroots to growth stage.
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT: NARI SHAKTI
On the women’s empowerment front, the budget delivers tangible and meaningful interventions. The construction of Working Women’s Hostels at Verna, Madkai and Tuem industrial estates — at a cost of Rs 100 crores — addresses a long-standing infrastructural gap that has hindered women’s participation in the industrial workforce. The ‘Mukhyamantri Sukanya Kaushal Vikas Yojana’, offering 100% tuition fee waiver for women enrolling in government ITIs, is expected to benefit approximately 1,000 women candidates, and will play a vital role in reducing dropout rates and encouraging skill acquisition among young women.
The continued strengthening of the Griha Aadhar scheme with an allocation of Rs 330 crores, the enhancement of the Ladli Laxmi Yojana with Rs 40 crores, and the increase in Anganwadi workers’ salaries by Rs 5,000 and helpers’ by Rs 2,500 reflect the government’s sustained commitment to women across all strata of society. The ambitious target of creating 11,000 ‘Lakhpati Didis’ under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, along with Rs 50 crore in bank loans to Self Help Groups, further strengthens the economic agency of women in rural Goa.
BUDGET THAT BUILDS BRIDGES AND EMPOWERS AT THE GRASSROOT LEVEL
This budget is not merely a statement of accounts; it is a statement of intent. By placing MSMEs and women at the centre of its economic vision, the government has acknowledged that the path to Viksit Goa 2037 runs through the workshops of small entrepreneurs and the aspirations of women across the State.
The challenge now lies in effective and timely implementation, and as representatives of the MSME community, we stand ready to collaborate with the government to translate these announcements into impact on the ground.
The author is the Goa State President, Laghu Udyog Bharati; Managing Committee member, GCCI; and mentor to GCCI Women’s Wing
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