Shoma Patnaik
Panaji
Goa’s micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector faces a critical skill set challenge, with less than 15% of its workforce trained to meet actual job requirements, according to the key findings of a state government survey.
The survey reveals that alongside an inadequately skilled workforce, the local MSME units suffer from a lack of marketing knowledge and are unaware of the best markets for their products. Growth is further constrained by a general ignorance of licensing requirements, causing many units to fall short of
regulatory compliance.
The state’s Directorate of Industries, Trade and Commerce (DITC) recently completed this assessment under the central ministry’s Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme. In total, 30,000 units were surveyed, representing about one-third of the total MSME units in the state. Currently, the sector provides two lakh jobs to the
Goan workforce.
The results highlight that while these units employ both, Goan and non-Goan workers, the skill gap is notably higher among the local workforce; only 8% of Goan workers possess the required skill sets compared to 13% of non-Goans. This unavailability of skilled hands ultimately degrades product quality and adversely impacts the market potential of these businesses, according
to the survey.
Currently, Goa has more than 90,000 MSMEs officially registered under the Udyam portal.
Majority of the sector comprises micro and small units that are proprietor-owned. The survey also highlights a stark gender disparity, with women owning only 24% of the units.
In terms of social demography, 84% of the Goan MSMEs are founded by promoters in the general category, while the remaining 16% have promoters belonging to scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and other backward communities.
Launched by the MSME Ministry in 2023, the RAMP scheme aims to improve the sector’s access to markets and credit, ensure the availability of infrastructure and skill training, address issues of delayed payments and promote the greening of MSMEs. The scheme required each state to conduct a baseline survey to assess parameters such as growth, output, value added, exports and employment.
“The findings will help in policymaking and improving the MSMEs,” said DITC deputy director Saba Krishna Parab. He said that business facilitation centres (BFCs) and a dedicated cell for women unit owners have already been set up to support MSMEs, and approximately 28,000 units have been provided with skill training to date.
