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The face of Goa has rapidly changed from being just a tourist attraction to a preferred destination for startups and innovators. Adorned with beautiful beaches and scenic views, entrepreneurs are looking at Goa as an ideal place to set up their businesses. Moreover, improved infrastructure and favourable policy changes by the state government have contributed to a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in the state.

Not just at the policy level, but the Goa Government has time and again contributed by organising summits and meetups for investors and young business minds. In line with this, Antha Prerna, 2021, Startup Conclave and Entrepreneurship summit successfully convened on August 29 at the Taj Resort and Convention Centre, Goa. The Summit was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr Pramod Sawant. The 2-day conclave will conclude on September 3, 2021. This event is organised by the Startup Promotion Cell, Government of Goa in collaboration with AIC-GIM (Atal Incubation Centre- Goa Institute of Management) and Info Tech Corporation of Goa Limited.

AIC-GIM is established under the aegis of Atal Innovation Mission and supported by NITI Aayog, Government of India. The Centre has made a stellar impact by supporting Goa’s startup ecosystem and providing incubation services to startups from across India. With Antha Prerna, 2021, AIC-GIM is looking to build a better startup ecosystem in the State of Goa for Startups across sectors. AIC-GIM firmly believes that a new economic model of growth for Goa can be built on the backbone of Startups, Entrepreneurs, Innovators and the Creative Class which will bring employment opportunities and much needed exposure for the young talent in the state.

Antha Prerna, 2021, a summit to explore possibilities for startups in Goa

Antha Prerna, 2021, aims to provide a shared platform to startups across the country and ecosystem enablers to interact, learn, network and grow as a community. Dr Pramod Sawant, addressing the startup conclave and entrepreneurship summit highlighted the opportunities present for young entrepreneurs in the state of Goa. The Chief Minister also launched “iMAGIC” an initiative to identify entrepreneurial talent in Goa and provide them with industry knowledge and mentorship.

Day 1 of the Summit – Key Highlights

• Mrs Ankita Anand, Director of Department of Information and Technology, Govt of Goa and CEO of Startup Promotion Cell- Goa discussed the New Startup Goa Policy
• Dr Chinntan Vaishnav, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission and Mr Rajesh Joshi, CEO, AIC-GIM Foundation discussed at length on the role of Atal Innovation Mission and Niti Aayog in promoting innovative culture and entrepreneurship in India
• Panel discussions were held on topics such as Government’s role in nurturing entrepreneurship and startups The Panel consisted of policy makers at Startup India to NITI Aayog to MeITY and also Government of Goa, Department of IT and Industry
• CEO’s of 10 Atal Incubation Centres(AIC)s across India and Dr Chintan Vaishnav, came together for a roundtable discussion on incubator capacity building, way ahead on collaboration and partnerships for nurturing the startup ecosystem
• Mr Amitabha Bandopadhyay – Professor, IIT Kanpur & Member of National StartUp Advisory Council in a Masterclass session spoke to students on the topic of “Idea to Opportunity”
• In another Master Class, Mr Dipan Sahu – Assistant Innovation Director AICTE Ministry of Education spoke to students on “When is the right time to Startup”
• Mr Jeet V, CEO, MEITY Startup Hub, participated in a State Innovation Roundtable session with Dr Chintan Vaishnav and other delegates of AIM, Info tech corp on nurturing innovation in the state of Goa and other parts of the country

Antha Prerna translates to “inner motivation” which is the basis to build, grow and scale successful ventures. The idea is to encourage young innovators to believe that there is scope and possibilities for them in the state of Goa.

The summit is part of AIC-GIM’s India Startup week which will be organised for 4 weeks in 4 consecutive months. Each week will have a specific focus area. The first theme is WISE, Week of Investment, Startups, Entrepreneurs which is aimed at raising investments for startups in Goa and across India. More such events with specific focus areas are set to take place for the upcoming weeks.

Speaking on the successful completion of Day 1 of the Antha Prerna event, Rajesh Joshi, CEO, AIC-GIM said “There are a great number of startups already thriving in Goa, and with this summit, we were able to bring the much-needed recognition to these startups at the national level and across all policy makers of Government of India and Goa. Many more startups, entrepreneurs and innovators have also moved their operations to Goa during the pandemic. More than 250+ Startups cumulatively are certified by Startup Promotion Cell, Government of Goa and Startup India, DPIIT, Government of India. With an ecosystem already in place, Antha Prerna provided a platform for Government representatives and AIC GIM to discuss how both entities can come together to create a robust and vibrant Startup culture in the state of Goa.”

Making Goa a Startup hub

AIC-GIM, with WISE and Antha Prerna, intends to highlight aspects of Goa that are not commonly known to the startup aspirants of the country. What is it that makes Goa better to work in than the other states?

Work-life balance: Who wouldn’t love a work set up surrounded by scenic beauty? With its quality of life, lower cost of living, location advantage, and a perfect blend of modern as well as conventional pace of life, Goa is increasingly becoming a favourite for those who want to build their professional careers and enjoy little pleasures of life at the same time.

Excellent infrastructure: Goa State Report of June 2021 states that Goa has a well-developed social, physical, and industrial infrastructure and virtual connectivity. It has an international airport and significant port infrastructure. It is also an emerging destination for knowledge-based industries such as biotechnology and IT. Additionally, several developmental projects are in line to boost the state’s infrastructure.

Favourable State government policies: The Government of Goa has committed to support early-stage startups to set up with ease in Goa. Some of these incentives include:

• Co-working spaces/ incubators/ accelerators subsidy scheme
• Reimbursement of expenses for startups operating from leased/privately-owned premises scheme
• Grant for incubation centers within educational institutes scheme
• Seed capital scheme
• Skill development fee reimbursement scheme
• Skill development promotion scheme
• Technology fellowship and patent promotion scheme
• Trademark reimbursement scheme

And more…

What to expect on Day 2 of Antha Prerna?

The Startup Conclave and Entrepreneurship summit will conclude on September 3, 2021, at Taj Convention Resort and Convention Centre, Goa. Day 2 of the summit will host interesting sessions throughout the day from 9 am onwards followed by a networking dinner at the closing ceremony. Startups and other stakeholders related to the ecosystem can register at www.anthaprerna.in. First preference to be given to those who pre-register.

The summit will include panel talks, fireside chats, presentations on the below topics:

• Promoting innovation culture and entrepreneurship mindset in academic institutions in Goa
• Looking at Startups beyond IT: Featuring emerging Startups in the Non-IT Sectors
• Better halves make better entrepreneurs: Looking at life of entrepreneurs from the eyes of their partners
• Successful Indian Startups sharing their experience with Goan startups and budding entrepreneurs of Goa
• Goan Startups to showcase their products, solutions, services to Industry leaders & the Government representatives
• Announcements of challenges by Industry and the Government: A call to Startups to innovate & provide specific solutions
• Address by a successful and global entrepreneur from Goa
• Panel Discussion by investors & Roundtable Session with Angel Investors
• Incubator selected Startups will get a chance to speed pitch to 12 Investors
• Presentation on IT Industry by Goa IT professionals (GITP)
• Launch of various Hackathons for startups
• Address by National Startup Advisory Council, India

Closing ceremony of the event to be graced by Honorable Chief Minister of Goa.

Antha Prerna, 2021, aims to serve as an enabler and a catalyst to build a better startup ecosystem in Goa and make it a Top Startup Hub. Pre-register to block your seat and ensure your participation at the event.