Cluster will be commercially viable platform: GIDC
Shoma Patnaik
Panaji: In a move aimed at promoting inclusivity in the state’s industrial economy, Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) is planning to set up a ‘purple economic zone’ at the Verna Industrial Estate specifically for entrepreneurs with disabilities.
GIDC has proposed to establish the economic zone over five acres of land in Verna as a plug-and-play industrial cluster. It will feature fully accessible infrastructure, shared facilities, and specialised business support services.
The cluster, which will be the first of its kind in the state, is designed for enterprises promoted by persons with disabilities (PwDs), industrial units serving the disability and accessibility markets, and companies providing support services within the PwD ecosystem.
GIDC disclosed the proposal at its latest board meeting.
“The project is not a welfare initiative. It will be a commercially viable industrial platform that can generate employment, promote entrepreneurship among PwDs, and demonstrate inclusion as an industrial strategy,” the corporation board said.
The project will be developed through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and will preferably be structured as a Section 8 company (a non-profit entity under the Companies Act).
GIDC wants to execute lease allotment agreements for plot owners in accordance with standard plot allotment regulations.
This should incorporate necessary safeguards regarding land use, eligibility, and plot transfer conditions.
The proposal to set up an industrial cluster dedicated to PwDs was received from EnAble India. It fulfils one of the commitments made by GIDC during the economy dialogues session at the Purple Fest event held in October 2025.
The corporation’s managing committee pointed out that the project will require no immediate financial outgo from GIDC, as it only requires an in-principle land allotment. Project financing, infrastructure development, and operational costs will be structured subsequently through the SPV.
Furthermore, GIDC could also tap corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnerships for the project.
According to census data, the disabled population comprises about 1.1 per cent of the state’s total population. GIDC noted that skilled PwDs had clearly demonstrated the pressing need for accessible industrial infrastructure during the Purple Fest.
