The Goa State Innovation Council (GSInC) has been exploring several technological and innovative avenues that have included students and start-ups at its core. Chairman of GSInC,Jose Manuel Noronha, in conversation with Diana Fernandes of The Navhind TImes
As Chairman of Goa State Innovation Council (GSInC), how has the Council grown from its early days?
From its inception, the Goa State Innovation Council (GSInC) was envisioned as a platform to identify, encourage and nurture innovative thinking across the State of Goa. In its early phase, the Council primarily focused on building awareness about innovation, creativity and scientific temper among students, educators and aspiring innovators.
The initial years were instrumental in laying a strong foundation by sensitising stakeholders and creating an environment where ideas could be freely shared and explored. Over time, GSInC has evolved significantly from a largely policy-driven and awareness-oriented initiative into a comprehensive innovation ecosystem enabler. This evolution was driven by the realisation that innovation requires not only ideas, but also structured support, technical infrastructure, mentoring and access to networks that can help transform concepts into viable solutions. Today, GSInC’s growth is reflected in both scale and impact.
How important is it to include students in the Council’s activities? How does this align with GSInC’s goals?
A strong innovation ecosystem can only grow when curiosity, creativity and problem-solving skills are encouraged among students at school and college levels. With this objective, GSInC has consistently focused on engaging young minds across Goa.
The Council has conducted sensitisation workshops in schools to introduce students to the basic concepts of innovation, creativity, science and startups. These workshops help students understand how ideas can be converted into solutions for real-life problems. They are also made aware of startup culture and various government support schemes available for students and young innovators, motivating them to think beyond textbooks and explore new possibilities.
At the college level, GSInC has organised bootcamps on innovation and startups, where students are exposed to topics such as idea development, design thinking, prototyping and entrepreneurship. These bootcamps also highlight government schemes and grants that support startups, innovators and early-stage product development, helping students understand the practical pathways available to them.
In addition, GSInC conducts Think Design Prototyping Workshops at the Rapid Prototyping Lab, providing students with hands-on training in modern tools and technologies. Students gain practical exposure to 3D printers, laser cutting machines, drones, AR/VR applications, IoT systems and other advanced prototyping tools. These programmes allow students to move from theory to practice by building and testing prototypes under expert guidance.
What are the main sectors the Council is focusing on, and why?
The Goa State Innovation Council focuses on key areas that help build a strong innovation culture and provide practical support to innovators at different stages. GSInC places strong emphasis on awareness programmes related to innovation, the environment and societal impact, especially for students. Through school- and college-level programmes, students are encouraged to think creatively, understand real-world problems and develop solutions that benefit society and the environment.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) promotion is a major focus area. GSInC conducts IPR awareness sessions and provides guidance on patent filing so that innovators understand the importance of protecting their ideas and inventions.
The Rapid Prototyping Lab plays a key role in supporting innovators by providing access to modern tools and infrastructure. The lab helps innovators convert ideas into working prototypes using advanced technologies and hands-on support.
Another important focus is the Goa Young Innovators Award, which recognises and encourages young talent by providing visibility, motivation and recognition to innovative ideas and projects developed in the State.
Lastly, GSInC implements and promotes government support funding schemes to assist innovators, startups and researchers. These schemes help innovators move forward by providing financial support for prototyping, patent filing and early-stage development.
IPR has been a key focus area. Has there been growth in patents and applications, and what does this mean for Goa?
GSInC has been actively conducting IPR sessions, mentoring programmes and awareness events aimed at students, innovators, startups and faculty.
GSInC organised a mentoring session on Intellectual Property Rights guided by experienced IP professionals such as Dr T. Ramakrishna, Chair Professor of IPR at the National Law School of India, Bangalore. These sessions helped participants understand patent management, prior art search and how to protect their innovations effectively.
In another important initiative, GSInC officially launched an IPR Toolkit in April 2025, which was unveiled by the Minister for Science and Technology in the presence of the Council leadership. This toolkit provides innovators with a structured guide to patents and other forms of intellectual property, with the aim of empowering them to confidently protect their work.
Over time, GSInC has supported 20 provisional patent filings, reflecting a growing interest among innovators not only to create ideas but also to legally protect them. The increase in IPR activities and provisional filings indicates a healthy cultural shift in Goa’s innovation ecosystem.
Innovators are moving from simply sharing ideas to protecting their intellectual property, which is a critical step towards commercialisation and future scalability. This shift is helping Goa transition towards a knowledge-based economy, where innovation is not just generated but also legally secured, valued and marketed.
Such growth enhances Goa’s competitiveness nationally and gives confidence to young innovators that their ideas will be protected and respected, making the State an attractive destination for innovation and entrepreneurship.
With AI being the talk of the town, how does GSInC plan to incorporate it?
Artificial Intelligence is a cross-cutting enabler, and GSInC views it as an integral part of future innovation. AI is already being explored in areas such as automation, healthcare monitoring, smart systems and data-driven decision-making.
Going forward, GSInC plans to integrate AI through capacity-building programmes, project mentoring and prototyping support, especially by combining AI with hardware innovation at the Rapid Prototyping Lab. The aim is to ensure responsible, application-oriented adoption of AI rather than isolated experimentation.
What future avenues and activities is GSInC looking to explore?
The Goa State Innovation Council (GSInC) has an ambitious roadmap that will further strengthen Goa’s innovation ecosystem and provide holistic support to students, innovators, startups and industry partners. The Council plans to conduct additional innovation awareness campaigns in schools and colleges, emphasising creativity, problem-solving, environmental responsibility and the importance of socially relevant innovation.
GSInC will continue to actively promote Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). A core platform that will play a pivotal role in its future activities is the Virtual Innovation Register (VIR). The Virtual Innovation Register helps innovators from across Goa submit their ideas online, receive mentoring support, access resources and track progress, all in one place. Since its launch, VIR has registered thousands of innovative ideas and has become a central hub for nurturing creativity and innovation in the State.
Another important focus is to scale up the activities of the Rapid Prototyping Lab at Fatorda. GSInC plans to support a larger number of prototyping projects, offering hands-on access to tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, drones, AR/VR devices, IoT platforms and more. The aim is not only to help innovators build prototypes but also to guide them in developing these prototypes into scalable products and potential startups.
GSInC also intends to strengthen deep-tech and AI-enabled innovation, promoting projects that leverage emerging technologies across healthcare, automation, industry and social impact. At the same time, the Council will expand industry–academia–startup collaborations to align innovation with real market needs and ensure that breakthrough ideas are commercially relevant.
The Council will also enhance startup acceleration support, helping innovators access funding, mentorship, investor networks and opportunities to take their solutions to the market. GSInC plans to increase engagement with national and international innovation platforms, giving Goan innovators wider exposure
and opportunities for collaboration beyond the State.
