Goa Budget 2026-27 announces major push for IT sector and digital economy
Goa Budget 2026-27: IT Electronics and Communications sector gets Rs 189 crore
Porvorim, March 6, 2025: Dr. Pramod Sawant, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa, presented the State Budget for 2026-27 at the Goa Legislative Assembly Complex in Porvorim, announcing several initiatives aimed at strengthening the state’s Information Technology sector and accelerating the growth of the digital economy.
An allocation of Rs 189 crore has been earmarked for the Information Technology, Electronics and Communications sector.
Reacting to the budget, Hon’ble Minister of ITE&C, Shri. Rohan Khaunte stated, “This is a progressive and citizen-centric budget that prioritises entrepreneurship, employment, startups, innovation and digital connectivity. The allocation to the IT sector will play a key role in strengthening Goa’s digital economy and help realise the vision of a Viksit Goem 2037.”
As part of efforts to improve digital governance, the government will introduce a citizen-facing Goa Mobile App, with an allocation of Rs 1 crore. The app will serve as a unified digital interface for citizens and is aimed at making government departments more accessible and moving towards paperless governance.
To further enhance the ease of doing business, the government has allocated Rs 4 crore for improvements to the Goa Online Portal, enabling better delivery of digital services to citizens. The Chief Minister also highlighted that an AI-powered chatbot has been introduced on the portal this year to assist users.
In a move to strengthen the startup ecosystem under the Goa Startup Policy 2025, the government has introduced four new schemes: Campus Innovation Scheme, Promotion and Marketing Assistance Scheme, Skill Enhancement Scheme and Women Entrepreneur Vitality Scheme. A total allocation of Rs 10 crore has been provided for these initiatives.
To attract remote workers and digital nomads, the government also announced plans to establish co-working spaces in coastal areas, beginning this year.
The budget also announced the commencement of Goa Broadband Network 2.0 (GBBN 2.0), which aims to strengthen the state’s digital infrastructure by connecting 400 Points of Presence (PoPs) and linking government offices with secure and scalable connectivity. The project will strengthen broadband connectivity across 165 locations in the state.
Further, to boost the IT ecosystem and encourage companies to employ local talent, the government will provide Rs 5 lakh per year to twenty IT companies employing Goans, on a first-come, first-served basis. A provision of Rs 1 crore has been made for this initiative.
Together, these initiatives reflect the government’s commitment to building a future-ready digital ecosystem while creating opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and inclusive growth in Goa.
