Goa’s identity has always been synonymous with sun, frolic and all things touristy. But over the past few years, Goa is carving its mark in being a startup hub and is all set to leverage its strengths and become the next startup hotspot in India.
On 28th April, Goa launched its startup policy and portal. Going forward, this day will also be known as Goa Startup Day.
The program held over the weekend included a high-level conference on entrepreneurship. There were pitches by some startups, the unveiling of the Goa Startup Policy and, various Goa Startup Schemes were declared. Union commerce and industry minister Suresh Prabhu in presence of state information and technology minister Rohan Khaunte, unveiled the policy and addressed the gathering saying, that the vision of the Goa startup policy is to make Goa one of the preferred startup destinations of India, and also feature in the top 25 startup destinations of Asia by 2025.
In a tweet about the Goa Startup Policy, Union commerce, and industry minister, Suresh Prabhu said, “The #GoaStartupPolicy envisions to make Goa one of the most preferred #startup destinations in India. Several funds being established to offer financial incentives to startups at various growth stages and to promote innovation and skill development #GSID2018”
The Goa startup policy will provide financial incentives to the budding and existing entrepreneurs with an aim to make Goa an aspirational geographical and human resources base for high-value startups. In the next 5 years, the state government desires to set up at least 100 startups.
A very impressive statement was made by Goa’s Minister for Revenue, IT and Labour & Employment, Rohan Khaunte. He said, “Goa now stands for Golden Opportunity Available. The government wants to create a startup culture where the youth become job givers and not job seekers.”
Very soon, Goa will not be just about sun, sand, and sea it will also be noticed and known as a land of Silicon, software, and startups.