NT Reporter | Panaji
As many as 26 startup applications came up for evaluation before the expert committee of the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), which held its 10th meeting recently for the sanctioning of incentives under the Seed Fund Grant Scheme of the Goa Startup Policy.
The meeting, held at the IT Hub, Altinho, Panaji, appraised early-stage ventures across multiple sectors such as information technology (IT), AI/machine learning (ML), healthcare technology, edtech, agritech, clean energy, fisheries, sports innovation, waste management, personal finance, media solutions, aerospace and defence.
During the evaluation, the committee members asked startup founders about the innovation potential, technical feasibility, scalability and prototype readiness of their products.
Promoters presented solutions built and tested in Goa.
“Many startup proposals addressed real, ground-level challenges ranging from digital accessibility and food logistics to clean energy, fisheries management, healthcare and smart construction,” said officials of DITE&C.
They said that a decision on the applications will be taken later at the high-level empowered committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
The Startup Seed Capital Scheme, which is a key component of the Goa Startup Policy, provides one-time funding support of up to Rs 10 lakh to startups that have developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
The scheme enables early-stage ventures to grow and further develop their products or services, supporting a strong foundation of homegrown innovation.
In all, there are about 12 schemes that provide financial incentives to startups under the Goa Startup Policy. As of 2024, the government has given over Rs 4 crore in grants under the policy.
The Goa Startup Policy 2025 aims to establish 1,000 new startups and create 10,000 jobs for locals over a period of three years.
