Panaji, Mar 06: As part of the State’s vision to position Goa as a forward-looking hub for emerging technologies, the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), Government of Goa, convened a stakeholder consultation meeting today at Paryatan Bhavan, Patto, Panaji to deliberate on Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance and the formulation of a comprehensive AI Policy for the State.
The meeting was chaired by the Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, and brought together representatives from government departments, industry associations, academic institutions, and technology experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with AI adoption in Goa.
Among those present were Shri Santosh Sukhadeve, IAS, Secretary (IT); Shri Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director, DITE&C; Shri Praveen R. Volvotkar, MD ITG; Dr. Milind Sakhardande, Joint Director, DITE&C; Smt. Revati Kumar, CEO & ED, GEL; Shri D. S. Prashant, CEO, SITPC, DITE&C; Smt. Sharda Katare, Head SEMT; Shri Arvind Bugde, Joint Secretary, Law; Shri Chinmay Kamat, Secretary, GTA; Smt. Ambika Dhakhenkar, Deputy Director, GCCI; Dr. Kavita Asnani, SHEC, Directorate of Higher Education; Shri Manoj B. Sawaikar, Deputy Director, Directorate of Education; Dr. M. S. Krupashankara, Principal, GEC; Shri Royon Carvalho, Member IT, ASSOCHAM; Smt. Darshana Kossambe, Assistant Director Associations, ASSOCHAM; Shri Fabio Fernandes, Executive, ASSOCHAM; Shri Prajyot Mainkar, Founder & CEO, SoFueled; and Shri Sagar Kumar, Consultant, Grant Thornton.
Participants also joined the discussion virtually, including Shri Shubham Arora, Founder, Sarvam AI; Shri Guru Prabhaker, Director – Sales, Sarvam AI; Shri Kartik Suri, General Manager, FutureSkills under the IndiaAI Mission; and Shri Mangirish Salelkar, President, Goa Technology Association (GTA).
Addressing the gathering, Hon’ble Minister Shri Rohan A. Khaunte highlighted that Artificial Intelligence is rapidly emerging as a key driver of innovation, governance, and economic growth. He emphasised that Goa must proactively adopt forward-looking policies to harness the transformative potential of AI while ensuring its benefits reach every section of society.
The Minister also highlighted the vision of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for the democratisation of Artificial Intelligence, noting that AI must empower citizens, strengthen governance, and support inclusive development. In this context, he stressed that Goa’s AI policy should promote responsible adoption of AI while fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological growth within the State.
During the meeting, stakeholders deliberated on priority sectors where AI can significantly enhance governance and public service delivery, including tourism, agriculture, healthcare, education, and e-governance. Discussions also focused on building a robust ecosystem to promote AI innovation, startups, research, skill development, and industry collaboration.
Participants emphasised the importance of leveraging Goa’s strong talent pool, academic institutions, and startup ecosystem to position the State as a hub for emerging technologies. Industry experts and representatives from national initiatives shared insights and best practices to support the State in developing a forward-looking and practical AI policy framework.
Representatives from Sarvam AI, a full-stack generative AI platform built with sovereign AI models, and the IndiaAI Mission also shared perspectives on emerging trends in Artificial Intelligence and highlighted the importance of developing indigenous AI capabilities to support governance and innovation.
The meeting also discussed the development of AI solutions in local languages, including the creation of a Konkani Large Language Model (LLM) in collaboration with national initiatives such as Bhashini, to ensure that AI technologies remain accessible and inclusive for citizens across the State.
Officials from the Department informed that the Draft AI Policy for Goa has already been circulated among stakeholders for feedback and inputs. Further consultations will continue in the coming weeks to refine the policy framework.
The proposed policy will align with the vision of the Goa AI Mission 2027, which aims to promote innovation, strengthen digital governance, and create new opportunities in emerging technologies, positioning Goa as a leading destination for AI-driven development.