Goa woos new businesses to become startup hub as it goes beyond beaches

Palolem beach, Goa. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Goa is going all out to establish itself as a startup hub and plans to launch co-working spaces on beaches and heritage locations as it continues to promote work-ations in the post-Covid phase.

The state which has certified 214 startups became the go-to destination for many Indians in the two years of the pandemic which led to remote working. The state is now taking the concept ahead to encourage more entrepreneurs to set up their new businesses in Goa.

Founder of relationship wellness app Togethr, Vasundhara Kanoria said she came to Goa to start her business because the state has a budding startup ecosystem. "It also has a lot of places that would allow us to plan events around our app. And Goa also allows for a healthier work-life balance. I see it as a growing ecosystem with a lot more startups coming out of Goa in the next 5-10 years," she said.

A startup studio called Build 3 which has been backing many startups has seen its number of startup partners increasing from seven last year to 26 this year. Based in Goa, Build 3 was started to help incubate social impact startups. Abhimanyu Rathi, one of the founders of Build 3 said that it has deployed Rs 1.5 crore in seven startups till December 2023 and another Rs 3 crore will be deployed by the end of January.

He also requested the state government to allow private incubators for grants.

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Another founder based in Goa is Sapna Sahani, who started Black Swan, an ed-tech company said that she prefers the healthier lifestyle Goa allows her to have.

Counting on the work-life balance aspect to promote more entrepreneurship in the state, the Goa government on January 10 unveiled the Global Opportunities Aggregator initiative (G.O.A.) which will facilitate remote collaboration, safeguard intellectual property, provide mentorship, and introduce a universal access card for accessing facilities like medical services, transportation, internet, co-living, and more in Goa.

The Department of Information Technology, Electronics, and Communication in Goa has also called for a digital nomad visa and seeks intervention and support from the Central Government.

Minister of ITE&C and Tourism, Rohan Khaunte said that in the next three months, there will be the launch of sea hubs which will be digitally-equipped workstations on the seashores. "In Goa, one can work as well as party on the beach and have a work-life balance," said D.S. Prashant, CEO, Startup and IT Promotion Cell, Goa.

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He said that along with work-life balance, Goa's strong connectivity with other startup hubs like Mumbai and Bengaluru is making it a favourable place for founders.

"One high level growth area is emerging technology. It will be the most value added segment for Goa's startup ecosystem. We are encouraging people to come to Goa and design in the state. Today, we have a lot of talent because there are many freelancers here. Research will be a big focus area for us. We are also focusing on training more women," he said.

Khaunte noted that currently 35 percent of startups in Goa are driven by women.

The state is also looking at transforming 100 villages into digital villages.

Khaunte pointed out that they are also focusing on academics to create more opportunities in the startup and technology space. "We are trying to create opportunities in Goa. But it is a task. So collectively, academia, government and industry are working together to ensure that the courses required are available in Goa. Schools here have started teaching subjects like robotics and coding. That exposure of studying such courses will help us transit to a place where people study in Goa and remain in the state. We are working on promoting Goa as a destination for education also," he said.