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Vedanta Sesa Goa Empowers Over 1 Lakh Youth Through Skilling, Education and Sports

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

National Youth Day, celebrated every year on January 12, honours the potential of young minds to drive positive change. The theme for 2025, “Ignite the self, impact the world,” resonates strongly with Vedanta Sesa Goa’s sustained efforts in youth empowerment. Since 2018, the company has impacted over one lakh youth through initiatives spanning skilling, education, sports and digital learning.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Navin Jaju, CEO, Vedanta Sesa Goa, emphasised the organisation’s focus on enabling young minds through education and skill development. He highlighted that initiatives such as the Sesa Football Academy, Sesa Technical School, and digital education and scholarship programmes have played a critical role in building an empowered and enabled society, while contributing to the larger vision of a Viksit Bharat.

Among Vedanta Sesa Goa’s flagship initiatives is the Sesa Football Academy, which since 1999 has nurtured the footballing aspirations of over 8,000 players. More than 230 players have benefitted directly from its residential programme, with 14 players, including boys and girls, representing India at the international level. The Academy’s senior women’s team currently represents Goa at the Indian Women’s League, while the senior men’s team continues to perform strongly in the Goa Premier League.

Reflecting on this impact, Aaroshi Govekar, a player at the Sesa Football Academy and a recent selection for the Indian football team, described wearing the Indian jersey as a dream come true. She credited the Academy for providing not just training, but discipline, exposure and confidence to compete at the highest level.

Another cornerstone of Vedanta Sesa Goa’s youth development efforts is the Sesa Technical School, established in 1994. The institute has provided industry-ready technical training to over 2,000 youth, particularly from rural and mining belts of Goa. Affiliated with NCVT and ITI, the school offers courses across five trades and maintains a near 100 percent placement record, with graduates employed by leading organisations across sectors. Special focus is placed on encouraging girls through scholarships and dedicated training programmes.

Alumnus and entrepreneur Laxman Dalvi shared that the school gave him more than technical skills—it instilled confidence, discipline and direction, enabling him to build a self-reliant future.

Under Project Vriddhi, Vedanta Sesa Goa has also strengthened access to education and digital learning by establishing Vedanta Computer Centres and Labs across multiple states. Since 2018, these initiatives have benefitted over 80,000 students and youth, helping bridge the digital divide and build essential skills for the modern workforce.

Complementing these efforts is the Vedanta Utkarsh Scholarship Programme, which has supported over 1,300 students in pursuing higher education, with 50 percent of scholarships reserved for meritorious girls. Beneficiaries like Leela Parab from Mulgao credit the programme for helping them move closer to their aspirations and contribute positively to society.

Together, these initiatives embody the spirit of National Youth Day by equipping young people with skills, confidence and opportunities to shape their own futures. As Vedanta Sesa Goa continues its mission of transforming communities, youth empowerment remains at the heart of its journey toward inclusive and sustainable progress.

Events in Goa

Design for Justice Programme at MOG Brings Goa’s Justice Stakeholders Together

Tanisha Cardozo

Justice-related work in Goa is often carried out in isolation, with communities, organisations and institutions addressing similar social issues without sufficient coordination. This observation emerged during the Design for Justice programme held at the Museum of Goa (MOG) in January 2026 as part of the MOG Sundays series. The two-day programme created a shared space for dialogue, reflection and collaboration among stakeholders working across Goa’s justice landscape.

Bringing together civil society organisations, students, designers, researchers and practitioners, the programme focused on how people-centred and design-led approaches can help shape more inclusive and accessible justice systems. Discussions centred on mapping existing justice-related efforts in the state, sharing community-led interventions and identifying opportunities for collaboration across sectors.

Aditi Nayak, research associate at Justice Adda, explained that the programme grew out of reflections following the 2023 Design for Justice Conference in Goa. While there is a significant amount of justice-related work happening across the state, the absence of shared platforms often leads to fragmented efforts. The aim, she said, was to slow down, bring these efforts into conversation with one another and begin identifying shared priorities rooted in lived community experiences.

Participants presented initiatives addressing a wide range of issues, including environmental protection, land rights, mental health, gender justice, tribal rights, governance and the social impact of emerging technologies. Although the focus areas varied, many initiatives were grounded in everyday realities — from coastal communities responding to ecological degradation to residents navigating governance and legal processes that directly affect their lives.

The programme featured voices from law, academia, human rights, environmental advocacy and technology. Speakers such as Asawari Nayak, advocate Aurobindo Gomes Pereira, human rights activist Cyril Fernandes, environmental lawyer Sreeja Chakraborty, technology practitioner Karn Malhotra, Maya de Souza and former Children’s Court judge Sayonara Tellis Laad shared insights drawn from their professional and community-based work. Their discussions examined how justice is encountered beyond courtrooms and policies, in daily interactions with systems and institutions.

Drawing from Justice Adda’s approach, Aditi highlighted the importance of focusing on how people experience justice in practice. Visual tools, storytelling and design methods, she noted, can help simplify complex legal information, making it more accessible and usable for communities, and bridging gaps between institutions and the people they are meant to serve.

A recurring theme throughout the sessions was the understanding of justice as an ecosystem rather than the responsibility of any single sector. Participants pointed to challenges such as limited resources, barriers within governance systems, difficulties in sustaining long-term work and insider–outsider dynamics. At the same time, the conversations underscored the need for better coordination, shared resources and sustained engagement among communities, civil society organisations, institutions and young practitioners.

Organisers said the programme aimed to lay the groundwork for future collaboration, with the relationships and ideas formed during the two days expected to inform more coordinated, inclusive and community-responsive approaches to justice in Goa.

TechPulse

Goa’s Transformative Tech Journey in 2025: Building India’s Creative Capital

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

In the land of golden shores and rising digital ambition, Goa is steadily carving its path toward becoming India’s Creative Capital and a thriving technology hub. The year 2025 proved to be a defining phase in this journey, with the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C) leading a wave of innovation focused on connectivity, e-governance, infrastructure, skilling and startups.

Connectivity continued to form the backbone of Goa’s digital ambitions. The state significantly expanded its network of free public Wi-Fi to 135 hotspots across key public spaces, while the rollout of 4G and 5G towers gained momentum, ensuring faster and more reliable internet access for citizens, businesses and visitors. The Goa Broadband Network further strengthened this foundation by extending high-speed internet connectivity to 1,492 government offices, helping bridge the digital divide and enabling seamless digital service delivery.

E-governance witnessed major advancements, bringing government services closer to the people. The GoaOnline portal, offering 265 services across 41 departments, recorded over 11 lakh digital interactions in 2025, reflecting growing public trust in online service delivery. Complementing this, the Gramin Mitra Yojana, implemented through Common Service Centres, ensured essential digital services reached remote and rural communities, reinforcing transparent and people-centric governance.

Skilling emerged as a core focus area as Goa prepared its citizens for the future digital economy. The launch of the Goa AI Mission 2027 marked a transformative step, built on four pillars of skilling, startups and companies, capital, and infrastructure. An early milestone under this mission was the AI for Governance programme conducted in collaboration with the IndiaAI Mission, Google and the World Bank, which sensitised government officials to the practical use of artificial intelligence in governance and service delivery.

Digital literacy initiatives gained further momentum through programmes such as the Mahila Digital Shashaktikaran Scheme, aimed at empowering women through computer education. The department also continued its commitment to inclusive education by distributing laptops to 111 meritorious SC and ST students under the Free Laptop Distribution Scheme for the academic year 2024–25.

On the infrastructure front, significant progress was made at the Electronics Manufacturing Centre in Tuem, Pernem, with plots allotted to companies including Zen Technologies Limited and Powerland Agro Tractors Pvt. Ltd., strengthening Goa’s electronics and manufacturing ecosystem. The state also explored emerging technologies such as blockchain, facilitating dialogue between industry and academia, while engaging with global firms and a high-level Norwegian delegation to strengthen international collaborations.

DITE&C showcased Goa’s digital vision at major national platforms such as the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 and the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi, highlighting the state’s technology initiatives and startup ecosystem. Goa’s startup landscape continued to flourish, with over 700 DPIIT-registered startups, including 328 women-led ventures. The revised Goa Startup Policy 2025 introduced 12 targeted schemes to support seed funding, mentorship, reimbursements and sustainable innovation.

Innovation challenges further energised the ecosystem, with the Goa Open Innovation Challenge attracting 557 participants who presented solutions to real-world governance and public service challenges. The department also signed key MoUs with Sarla Aviation Pvt. Ltd., the Digital India Bhashini Division and Maker’s Asylum, strengthening technology adoption, creative sectors and inclusive governance.

The launch of the #EmpoweredinGoa campaign encapsulated the spirit of 2025, celebrating an ecosystem where founders can innovate, students can skill up, women can lead, digital nomads can thrive and citizens can benefit from people-first governance. With high-speed connectivity, lifestyle advantages and improved infrastructure, Goa also emerged as a preferred destination for digital nomads and remote professionals.

As the state looks ahead to 2026, the groundwork laid in 2025 positions Goa for sustained growth and global recognition. With continued investments in digital infrastructure, innovation and skill development, Goa is well on its way to becoming one of India’s leading tech hubs while remaining inclusive, creative and community-driven.

Social Media

Spotify Investigates Massive Data Scrape Amid Claims of Audio and Metadata Leak

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Spotify has confirmed it is actively investigating an incident involving unauthorized scraping of its platform, after reports surfaced alleging access to hundreds of millions of rows of track metadata and millions of audio files. The streaming company said it has already identified and disabled nefarious user accounts linked to unlawful scraping and has implemented additional safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future.

In a statement, a Spotify spokesperson said the company has stood with the artist community against piracy since its inception and continues to work closely with industry partners to protect creators and defend their rights. According to the report, the alleged scrape includes around 256 million rows of track metadata and 86 million audio files, with plans for distribution via peer-to-peer networks in bulk torrents totaling approximately 300 terabytes. As of December 21, however, the report indicates that only metadata, not music files, has been publicly released.

Spotify acknowledged that its investigation found a third party had scraped public metadata and used illicit tactics to circumvent digital rights management in order to access some audio files on the platform. The company emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that it continues to actively monitor for suspicious behavior across its systems.

The report, first highlighted by Anna’s Archive, prompted strong reactions across the technology and music industries. Commentary circulating online, including a LinkedIn post by Yoav Zimmerman, CEO and co-founder of Third Chair, suggested that such a scrape could theoretically enable individuals to create personal, unauthorized versions of a music streaming service, with the main barriers being copyright law and enforcement.

Despite the claims, Spotify’s total catalog reportedly exceeds the number of audio files referenced in the report. Still, industry observers noted that even partial access could eclipse existing open music data repositories such as MusicBrainz, which contains around five million unique tracks.

Anna’s Archive, which typically focuses on books and academic papers, said the Spotify project aligns with its stated mission of preserving humanity’s knowledge and culture, describing the scrape as an attempt to build a music archive aimed primarily at preservation. The group acknowledged that Spotify does not contain all of the world’s music, but described it as a significant starting point.

As Spotify continues its investigation, the incident has reignited broader debates around digital piracy, data security, copyright enforcement and the challenges faced by streaming platforms in safeguarding content at scale.

TechPulse

GITDC Launches Hands-On 3D Printing Training for Skill Development

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

To promote hands-on learning and capacity building in emerging technologies, the Goa Information Technology Development Corporation (GITDC), in association with the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C), has begun trial training sessions in 3D printing technology. The first session was held on November 21, 2025, at the Additive Manufacturing Hub in Altinho, marking an important step towards strengthening technical competencies within the government workforce.

The inaugural session was attended by Shri Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director of DITE&C, Dr Milind Sakhardande, Joint Director of DITE&C, and Shri Subrai Nadkarni, Chief Engineer, GITDC. The training was conducted by Shri Ryan Vaz of Infinyt3D Pvt. Ltd and saw the participation of around twelve GITDC officials. Participants were introduced to the fundamentals of 3D technology through hands-on training in 3D modelling and design, including the use of 3D pens and basic design tools. The session combined presentations with practical demonstrations to help participants understand both theoretical concepts and real-world applications.

Upon completion of the programme, all participants received an Elementary 3D Printing certificate, recognising their foundational training in the technology. Speaking on the initiative, Shri Kabir Shirgaonkar said the programme is a crucial step in preparing government officials for future technological demands. He noted that exposure to advanced tools like 3D printing can help departments explore innovative applications and improve public service delivery.

The skilling initiative is being implemented under the leadership of Shri Rohan Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications. It is designed as a structured three-module training programme comprising beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, covering the full spectrum of 3D printing applications from basic design to advanced prototyping. As part of this effort, a dedicated 3D Printing Bureau is also being established to support design and printing requirements for various government departments.

The next phase of training sessions will be organised for government officials through the Department of ITE&C, subject to participant availability, as GITDC continues its focus on building technical capacity and fostering innovation within the public sector.