PANAJI: Goa aims to position itself as the creative capital of India while training and certifying more than 50,000 people in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030, Information Technology Minister Rohan Khaunte said on Saturday.
Announcing the state’s first-ever Goa AI Tech Conclave 2026, Khaunte said the initiative would help establish Goa as a destination not only for tourism but also for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. The two-day conclave will be held at the INOX Courtyard in Panaji on October 22 and 23.
“AI is the present, not the future,” Khaunte said, noting that the technology was transforming governance, entrepreneurship, industry and everyday life. He said Goa wanted to combine its strengths in tourism, hospitality, cultural heritage and creative industries with technology to help businesses evolve, startups grow, and new ideas translate into practical solutions. “Our ambition is to make Goa the creative capital of India,” he said, adding that the state wanted to develop solutions locally for wider use.
Khaunte said the proposed Goa AI Policy 2026 would focus on five key pillars: skills, startups, companies, capital and infrastructure, and governance. Skilling would be a key priority, with the government aiming to train and certify more than 50,000 people in AI by 2030. He said the initiative would prepare Goans for the changing employment landscape as AI becomes increasingly integrated into different sectors.
Responding to concerns about AI-driven job losses, Khaunte said unemployment could become a challenge if people did not focus on acquiring new skills. He stressed that while technological progress could not be stopped, people must retain control over how the technology is used. “Technological progress cannot be stopped. Humans must retain control and decide where and how to use it,” he said, adding that tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini should assist people rather than rule over them.
The conclave will feature the launch of the Goa AI Policy 2026, a Goa AI Hackathon and the presentation of the Living Library of Goa Rural AI Report. The hackathon will invite students, companies and innovators to develop solutions to problems identified by government departments.
Director of the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Kabir Shirgaonkar said the event would bring together representatives from government, industry, academia and startups to explore practical applications of AI. “Our ambition is to make this more than a conclave. We want it to be a meeting point of ideas, partnerships, and solutions where conversations lead to collaborations and innovation moves towards real-world implementation,” Shirgaonkar said.
The programme will include discussions on responsible and inclusive AI, industry adoption, sustainability, and AI-powered tourism and hospitality. Participants will also be able to explore emerging technologies, startup innovations and demonstrations. Dedicated activities will provide opportunities for students, young innovators, startups and women in technology to showcase their ideas.
Khaunte said technology could improve public service delivery, citing the Goa Online portal and the potential of AI-powered assistance to make government services more responsive. He also highlighted the proposed integration of Konkani into the AI ecosystem through the Bhashini language model initiative. The Bhashini LLM, currently under development and expected to be launched soon, will incorporate Konkani, helping address digital language barriers and reflect Goa’s linguistic and cultural context, Khaunte said.
AI, he said, could improve visitor experiences in tourism and hospitality, support productivity in manufacturing and enhance governance. The approach aligns with Sovereign AI, where solutions are developed to address local needs, languages and sector-specific requirements.
The conclave website was unveiled at the press conference, and registrations were opened. Khaunte invited technology companies, industry leaders, startups, researchers, students, and innovators from across the country to participate in the event.
