Amit Shah on 'WEST' growth engine
Union home minister Amit Shah highlighted the western region of India as the economic growth engine of the country during the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council on Monday in Panaji, Goa. Shah explained that "WEST" represents the various sectors that contribute to the region's prosperity - wealth and finance, exports and ports, startups and semiconductors, and tourism and the blue economy.
Goa, despite its relatively small geographic size, makes a substantial economic contribution due to its thriving tourism industry, high per capita income, and mining activities. In the first quarter of the 2026-2027 financial year, India recorded a growth rate of 7.8%, with significant contributions from the three states of the Western Zonal Council - Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
Goa attracts over 1 crore tourists annually, with 5 lakh being foreign visitors. Tourism accounts for 16% of Goa's Gross State Domestic Product. Maharashtra leads the region with 33,872 startups, while Gujarat is home to Dholera, a burgeoning semiconductor hub, as well as the country's top cargo handling port in Mundra and Deendayal Port which has the largest cargo volume among Indian ports. Financial capital Mumbai is also emerging as a major hub for global capital.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
