PANAJI
In a major push towards digital transformation, the Goa government on Monday made public the draft Goa AI Policy 2026, outlining an ambitious roadmap to position the State as India’s “Responsible AI and Applied Innovation Hub.”
The policy envisions Goa as a model State for ethical, inclusive, and citizen-first artificial intelligence adoption where technology strengthens governance, empowers citizens, preserves cultural heritage, and drives sustainable growth across key sectors such as tourism, fisheries, and creative industries.
The core of the policy is to deploy multilingual, transparent, and ethical AI solutions in public service delivery. The government aims to integrate AI into governance to improve efficiency, automate administrative processes, and enhance transparency, while ensuring that “no resident is left behind.”
A key highlight is the focus on building a robust AI ecosystem through Centres of Excellence, incubation hubs, hackathons, and innovation challenges to attract startups and global players. The State has set a target of bringing at least five global AI companies to Goa by 2028, backed by incentives such as a seven-year GST reimbursement for firms establishing research and development centres with local employment.
The policy also places strong emphasis on skilling and education. Goa plans to create an AI-ready workforce by certifying all technical graduates by 2028 and training 50,000 AI professionals by 2030, with at least 20 per cent participation from women and youth. AI will be introduced as a compulsory subject from Classes VI to XII by the 2027-28 academic year, alongside the establishment of AI laboratories in 50 government schools and expanded higher education integration.
In a move aimed at digital inclusion, the policy proposes a Konkani-first approach anchored in the development of a Konkani Large Language Model, ensuring wider accessibility of AI tools for local communities. Dedicated scholarships, fellowships, and partnerships with institutions such as IIT Goa and NIT Goa are also planned to strengthen research and talent development.
The government has proposed setting up three AI Centres of Excellence-focusing on coastal and environmental systems, healthcare and life sciences, and tourism and hospitality by 2028. Each centre will receive dedicated funding over five years to accelerate sector-specific innovation.
The draft policy outlines several governance-focused applications, including AI-powered chatbots on the Goa Online portal in Konkani, Hindi, and English, automated grievance redressal systems, AI-assisted RTI processing, and real-time dashboards for disaster management, coastal monitoring, and traffic regulation.
Sector-specific interventions include AI-enabled fishing advisories, smart tourism systems for crowd management and safety at beaches and heritage sites, and assistive AI tools in government hospitals for diagnostics and disease outbreak prediction. The policy also proposes enhanced monitoring of mining leases and environmental compliance using AI technologies.
On the regulatory front, the government has proposed a risk-tiered framework to ensure responsible AI deployment, with strict controls on high-risk applications and safeguards for data privacy in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.
To oversee implementation, a Goa AI Advisory Council headed by the Chief Minister or a designated minister will serve as the apex governance body, meeting at least once every quarter.
