Goa unveils landmark AI Policy 2026 and launches state hackathon at the inaugural Goa AI Tech Conclave

The two-day conclave began with major technology rollouts, Bhashini LLM integration and AI Center of Excellence announcements to position Goa as India’s premier innovation testbed

Goa Khabar: The Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Government of Goa, officially kicked off the Goa AI Tech Conclave 2026 at the INOX Courtyard, Panaji, marking an important milestone in the state’s journey toward responsible AI adoption. Held under the theme ‘AI for People, Planet and Progress,’ the conclave witnessed the official unveiling of the state’s AI policy and hackathon among other landmark initiatives.

​The inaugural ceremony took place in the presence of Dr. Pramod Sawant, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa; Shri. Rohan Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for IT, Electronics and Communications, Tourism and Printing & Stationery; Dr. Chandrakant Shetye, Hon’ble MLA for Bicholim and Chairman, ITG Ltd.; Shri. Premendra Shet, MLA for Mayem; Shri. Santosh Sukhadeve, IAS, Secretary IT, Goa; Shri. Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director, DITE&C; Shri. Praveen Volvotkar, MD, ITG Ltd.; Dr. Milind Sakhardande, Joint Director, DIT&C; Shri. D.S. Prashant, CEO, SITPC; alongside other senior dignitaries and industry leaders.

Addressing the gathering, Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant emphasized the state’s growing AI ecosystem and the importance of upskilling the youth. He noted that the AI trainees cohort that started in Porvorim can be expanded across Goa’s talukas, with DITE&C and the Education Department collaborating to establish AI labs in educational institutions.

The opening day featured major strategic rollouts. Goa introduced its very own AI Policy, joining a select few Indian states to have an AI policy, which aims to empower citizens, modernize public governance, preserve local heritage and drive high-value economic growth.

Highlighting the policy’s impact on the state, Hon’ble IT Minister, Shri. Rohan Khaunte shared, “With this progressive AI Policy 2026 and the whole thought of the Goa AI Mission 2027, the state aims to harness AI not merely as a tool for technological advancement, but as an enabler of inclusive growth, citizen-centric governance and new economic opportunities. Goa is building that future through five priorities. ​The first priority is the Goa AI Policy, that translates ambition into action. The Goa AI Policy 2026, with a three-year framework for 2026-29, is designed to establish Goa as India’s responsible AI and Applied Innovation hub, founded on five pillars: skilling and capacity building; startups and industries; capital and investments; policy, governance, and infrastructure; and responsible, safe and ethical AI.” The Minister also announced the ambitious IT Techno Centre in Porvorim, that will be a core hub for Goa’s tech ecosystem, bringing together infrastructure, incubation spaces and collaborative work hubs under one roof.

​The event also marked the launch of the Goa AI Hackathon, designed with a phased implementation strategy to drive smarter governance and improve public service delivery.

Building on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed six months ago with the department, the Digital India BHASHINI is developing a Konkani Large Language Model (LLM), working in close coordination with the Higher Education Department and the Directorate of Official Languages, aiming to create localised models for state governance. To gather the massive volume of text and audio datasets required for accurate AI training, the state is leveraging BhashaDaan, BHASHINI’s official crowdsourcing project, which invites citizens, students and language experts to contribute linguistic data. Complementing this is Granthika, a guided digitalization workbench that engages elderly citizens to safeguard, digitise and open access to India’s vast historical, legal and manuscript heritage. Additionally, the Department of IT, Electronics & Communications signed an MoU with BITS Pilani Goa to establish an AI Centre of Excellence, alongside the launch of the Living Library of Goa Rural AI report by Hyprlocl and the felicitation of12 Drone Didis who successfully completed their foundational drone training and are now advancing to higher-level courses.

​To showcase grassroots progress, the state celebrated its first cohort of 10 AI trainees trained by TAWAI Studio. The initiative was led by Hon’ble Minister, Shri. Rohan Khaunte and trainees like Shradha Sawant and Abhijit Raul were able to successfully master AI tools leading to immediate job offers, such as Shradha’s placement in McLaren Strategic Solutions (MSS).

​Following the inaugural session, the conclave transitioned into an action-packed afternoon featuring closed-room CXO roundtables and main-stage panel discussions. These sessions explored the future of AI, inclusive and ethical AI, Goa as an AI-native GCC destination, AI-powered tourism and building Goa AI from the ground up. The panels featured prominent industry leaders, including Shri. Ankush Sabharwal, Founder & CEO of CoRover.ai / BharatGPT; Dr. Sanjeev Rastogi, CEO of Adani GCC; and Shri. Rahat Kulshreshtha, Co-founder and CEO of Quidich Innovation Labs and Chairman of the Drone Federation of India, among others.

​Parallel to the main stage, dedicated thematic zones hosted Women in Tech leadership sessions, accessibility challenges and skill development workshops focusing on AI reels and jingle making; and startup pitching. Attendees also explored an exhibition area featuring 30 technology experience zones and institutional stalls by MeitY, Bhashini, Google, Microsoft, CommScope, Sirena Technologies, DroneLabs, among others.

Bringing together industry experts, startups, innovators, academia and students, day one of the conclave served as an essential hub to collaborate, build networks, learn and collectively guide the development of artificial intelligence. ​Building on a successful opening day, the Goa AI Tech Conclave 2026 continues tomorrow with advanced sessions on climate resilience and industrial transformation, further demonstrating Goa’s readiness to lead India’s AI revolution.