Goa's new AI policy: Rs 250-crore innovation fund and target of 50,000 AI-ready professionals by 2030

Key facts

• Goa's new AI policy centres on a Rs 250-crore innovation fund spread over five years, aimed at diversifying its tourism-led economy into a 'knowledge destination'.
• The policy targets creating 50,000 AI-ready professionals by 2030 and is aligned with the Centre's IndiaAI Mission.
• Tourism accounts for about 16.43% of Goa's GDP and 40-45% of employment, while mining once contributed about 17% of the state's GDP.
• Goa's share of India's pharma sector is about 12%.
• Goa's investment pitch focuses on research, design and creative work rather than manufacturing, with the motto 'Build from Goa, scale up from Goa'.
• Goa has signed an MoU with BITS Goa for an AI Centre of Excellence and with Bengaluru-based robotics firm Sirena Technologies to introduce robotics into the curriculum.
• Goa has signed an MoU with BHASHINI to develop a Konkani large language model (LLM) for creating localised models for state governance.
• Goa, which has never had a major global capability centre (GCC) or IT park, is planning a tech hub for innovators, researchers and academics, with provisions for AI centres of excellence.
• Goa IT Minister Rohan Khaunte said the state would strictly implement ethical AI practices and could host 'one or two' data centres at most, as data centres generate few jobs while consuming large amounts of energy and water.