Goa State Focus Paper 2025-26, prepared by NABARD’s Goa Regional Office, revealed that Commercial Banks dominate the priority sector lending in the state, while Cooperative Banks need to improve their performance.
The report stated that the share of the Priority Sector Advances outstanding as a percentage of total advances stood at 43.77% as of 31 March 2024. Commercial Banks accounted for Rs 8,081.04 crore, or 92.62% of total priority sector lending, while Cooperative Banks contributed Rs 580.66 crore (6.65%), and Small Finance Banks Rs 62.88 crore (0.72%).
Goa operates a 2-tier cooperative credit structure comprising one State Cooperative Bank (SCB) with 54 branches and 62 functional Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies (PACS). The SCB’s branches are divided into 30 rural and 24 semi-urban areas.
Efforts are underway to computerize 58 PACS through ERP implementation, hardware upgrades, and training, coordinated by NABARD, the State Government, and the SCB. The focus includes agro-processing, marketing, poultry, and fisheries to boost economic activity in untapped areas, the report added.
The state has potential for forming additional cooperatives, PACS: 14 (South Goa), 13 (North Goa), Dairy Cooperatives: 8 each in South and North Goa and Fisheries Societies: 10 each in South and North Goa.
As of 31 March 2024, Goa reported total deposits of Rs 1,17,502 crore and loans and advances of Rs 38,571 crore, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 9.50% in deposits and 25.83% in advances. The share of cooperatives in total deposits and advances was 4.81% and 9.20%, respectively.
The Credit-Deposit (CD) Ratio in the state improved to 32.83%, compared to 28.56% the previous year, but remains below the national benchmark of 60%. The State Cooperative Bank’s CD Ratio stood at 62.74%, exceeding the state average. Only 15 banks in Goa reported a CD Ratio above the national benchmark as of 31 March 2024.
