Global investors will meet in Goa in December to help finance the start-up
community in the state, Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on
Sunday.
He said the Centre was thinking of making Goa as the start-up and logistics
hub to create more jobs and that it will also promote agricultural export from
the coastal state.
“One of the problems faced by start-ups is finance. We have called all global
players who are into financing. This event, to be held on December 7, will
bring in global players for investment in the sector for the first time,” Prabhu
said.
He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the ‘green’ building centre
at Kudaim Industrial Estate by ACC Cement company in partnership with
Goa’s ALCON group.
It is a concept introduced by ACC to provide green solutions for building
constructions.
Prabhu said the event (to facilitate financing for start-ups) will be held in Goa
annually during which the financiers, venture capitalists, investors and
growth capital providers will assemble.
“We are thinking of creating a national hub of start-ups in Goa,” he said,
adding that he is also looking forward to see the state become a new hub of
“green ideas“.
“We are working on many things. At the same time we have to create
employment for people. If you only talk about green then what happens to
people?”
he said.
The minister said to create employment and to keep it clean “we need to
think about cleaner ideas“.
Prabhu also said a logistics hub will also be set up in Goa as the state has all
the infrastructure required for the facility.
The minister also said that the Centre has earmarked Rs 5,000 crore for
providing full support to the service sector and it has identified 12 champion
sectors for the services industry.
“We want to provide support to services in a big way so that services also
become a growth engine. Services are the biggest job providers. I have
requested the Goa government to submit a proposal so that we can give part
of the money to the state,” he said.
Source: The Hindu Business Line, India Monday, 22 October 2018