The Startup and IT Promotion Cell, Department of IT, Electronics, and Communications in Goa celebrated a day-long program on the occasion of the National Startup Day on 16th January 2024, at Fortune Miramar. The event included the workshop hosted by Vaniya Dangwal, a masterclass by Sanchin Karnik – the Great Unicorn Hunt. Followed by Corporate Connect Bridge, with panel discussions by Yatin Kakodkar – Apex Packing Products Pvt Ltd, Pallavi Salgaocar – Geno Pharma, Anirudh Dempo – Goa Paints and Allied Products Pvt Ltd, and Nitin Desai – Exflor, and concluded with felicitation of prominent startups.
16th January, the foundation day of Startup India, was announced by the Prime Minister as National Startup Day in 2022. This was a demonstration of the government’s commitment to recognizing startups’ vital contributions to building a nation, economic growth, and self-reliance. The Startup India program is also vital in achieving the Prime Minister’s objective of Viksit Bharat 2047 of making India a developed nation by 2047.
The felicitation of startups was held at the hands of the Chief Guest, Shri. Rohan A. Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Printing and Stationery, and the Guest of Honour, Dr. Chandrakant Shetye, Chairman, InfoTech Corporation of Goa and Member of Legislative Assembly. 12 prominent startups were felicitated for their remarkable contributions to the startup ecosystem: Molbio, Blive, Bodhami, Transerve, Minko, Kabira, Contractzy, Numadic, Spintly, Stoa, Wakao, and Namaste Chai.
At his keynote address, the Honorable Minister for Tourism, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Printing and Stationary, Government of Goa Shri. Rohan A. Khaunte recalled the dual significance of the day, underscored the significance of the Opinion Poll, and lauded the achievements of Indian entrepreneurs. “Our vision is to be recognized as a hub for both technical and creative innovation. Additionally, we recognize the pivotal role of women’s empowerment in the startup ecosystem. Modi Ji’s emphasis on Yuva Shakti, Mahila Shakti, Kisan Shakti, and Garib Kalyan reflects the attributes we prioritize for our country’s success. Population around the world is aging, and people are getting older, but India is an exception, we are a youthful population. But 20-25 years from now, our population will also peak. And after it peaks, we will also age, so it is our time to make the most of it. Goa has always been seen as a tourist destination, which indeed is the primary contributing factor to its GDP. There is no need to change this image but to expand on this through IT, Inclusiveness, and Transparency and to make Goa a preferred location for companies and professionals. It is its charm and atmosphere that makes Goa the perfect destination for companies and professionals to thrive and excel, it can be an ideal Global Opportunities Aggregator.”
The event also witnessed signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of IT and HDFC, where the bank committed INR 99 lakhs to assisting startups contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the release of the Goa Startup Digest 2023 which is a comprehensive dossier on Central Government schemes, compilation of prominent startups in Goa and activities and initiatives led by the Startup & IT Promotion Cell in the last 6 months.
The panel discussion held at the percussor of the felicitation program saw a mix of investors, industry associations, matured startups, and the academia such as; Appalla Saikiran – Scope App, Sachin Karnik – The Great Unicorn Hunt, Dr. Anil Wali – BITS BioCyTiH Foundation, Swati Salgaonkar – Dy. Chairperson, Western Region, CII, Dr. Sriram Natarajan – Molbio Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd. who is Goa’s first and only startup Unicorn, Samarth Kholkar – B-live, and, Gautami Raikar – Attort Legal Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. More than 100 enthusiastic attendees attended the event, including entrepreneurs, students, professionals, and key stakeholders.
