Tag: AI

TechPulse

DITE&C Accelerates Blockchain Innovation in Goa Through Industry–Academia Collaboration

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C), Government of Goa, has strengthened its commitment to advancing blockchain adoption in the State by initiating the formation of a dedicated blockchain community. This effort brings together industry leaders, academic institutions, incubators and technology experts to explore opportunities for tokenization and the broader potential of blockchain solutions. The initiative was supported by McLaren Strategic Solutions and Omnumi, a global blockchain platform known for secure, compliant and adaptable frameworks for tokenized deposits and regulated digital currencies.

The meetings, held at Paryatan Bhavan in Panjim, created a vibrant space for collaboration. Omnumi representatives, including CEO and Co-founder Kirk Chapman, CTO Sree Tirumalasetti, Chief Architect Robin Huiser, Head of Product Delivery Joe O’Rourke and Head of Service Delivery Natalie Nopareporn, engaged participants across three specialized sessions. Corporates were introduced to the fundamentals of tokenization and the capabilities of the Omnumi platform. Blockchain specialists took a deeper dive into the platform’s technical features, with discussions on multisig architecture, card integration and deployable ERC20 contracts led by Chief Architect Robin Huiser. The final session focused on academia and incubators, exploring pathways for collaboration and skill development to prepare Goa’s youth for future opportunities in digital innovation.

Shri Rohan Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, emphasized that Goa’s youth possess immense potential and that blockchain is poised to be a transformative force for them. He highlighted the State’s commitment to fostering emerging technologies and creating opportunities for young professionals.

McLaren Strategic Solutions has already established Goa as a global hub through the creation of its Development Centre last year. Now, following this momentum, Omnumi is planning to set up its own operations in Goa. Together, they aim to recruit over 200 professionals in the coming years, demonstrating confidence in Goa’s tech talent and signaling further growth in the local innovation ecosystem. Representatives from McLaren noted that Goa’s academic partners and students are highly motivated to work on real-world challenges, and the company plans to provide sandbox access to the Omnumi platform along with training and support to help bring new ideas to life.

DITE&C’s ongoing efforts to position Goa as a center for emerging technologies received strong reinforcement through these discussions. Plans for a two-day hackathon will further encourage experimentation, skill-building and the development of practical use cases. The McLaren team also proposed a Goa Tourism App powered by the Omnumi Wallet, signaling opportunities for blockchain-driven solutions across sectors. Overall, the initiative marks a significant milestone in Goa’s journey toward becoming a thriving hub for digital innovation, collaboration and technological advancement.

Events in Goa, IFFI 2025

Masterclass on “The New AI Cinema” Explores the Future of Filmmaking at IFFI 2025

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The sixth day of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025 delivered one of the festival’s most forward-looking conversations through its masterclass titled “The New AI Cinema: A Discourse on Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs)”. The session brought together eminent voices from technology and cinema, including technologist Shankar Ramakrishnan, AI expert V. Muralitharan, and internationally celebrated filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who led an engaging and visionary dialogue on how rapidly developing artificial intelligence tools are reshaping the art and craft of filmmaking.

The session opened with Ravi Kottarakara honouring Shekhar Kapur for his pioneering impact on Indian cinema, highlighting his innovative approach to storytelling and his enduring influence with films like Mr. India, still celebrated for its technical brilliance and cultural legacy. Kapur reflected on the profound shift unfolding across the world with the rise of AI, describing it as the most democratic medium ever introduced to filmmaking. He emphasised that AI has dissolved long-standing barriers, giving unprecedented creative access to individuals who previously had limited pathways into the industry. Illustrating this point, he shared an anecdote about his cook who used ChatGPT to create a script for Mr. India 2, demonstrating how transformative and inclusive AI-powered creativity has become.

Kapur expressed confidence that India, home to the world’s largest youth population, is poised to take a leading role in shaping the future of film technology. He also clarified the difference between traditional VFX and AI-driven processes, noting that while VFX involves crafting or modifying visuals digitally, AI leverages machine-learning models to automate, enhance, or even generate creative elements, fundamentally shifting the way films can be conceived and executed.

Technologists Shankar Ramakrishnan and V. Muralitharan expanded the conversation by demonstrating how modern AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini assist filmmakers across multiple stages of production, from scripting and storyboarding to generating detailed shot descriptions including lighting, camera angles, and visual dynamics. They showcased their AI-enhanced project The Turban and The Rock, written by Raja Rao, explaining how various AI platforms were integrated seamlessly into its creation.

The interactive Q&A session that followed encouraged deeper conversations about the larger possibilities of AI in cinema. The panellists highlighted how emerging technologies can support documentary production, archival restoration, film education, and creative ideation. Audiences were given a glimpse into the future through the screening of an AI-generated short documentary titled The Lost Legends, which demonstrated the growing sophistication of AI-driven visual storytelling.

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding technological advancement, Shekhar Kapur grounded the discussion by reminding the audience that cinema’s true heart lies in human emotion. He emphasised that while AI can accelerate processes and expand creative possibilities, it is ultimately the human artist who breathes life, meaning, and emotional depth into a film.

The session concluded with a touching tribute to legendary actor Dharmendra, honouring his immense contribution to Indian cinema and reminding attendees that while the tools of filmmaking may evolve, the soul of the art remains in the stories and performances that connect deeply with audiences.

National

Goa Shines at Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025, Showcasing Its Growing Innovation & Startup Ecosystem

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral National Desk

The Goa Pavilion at the 28th Edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 concluded on a high note, drawing significant attention from visitors, international delegates and industry leaders throughout the three-day event at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. More than 500 attendees visited the pavilion curated by the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications of the Government of Goa, engaging deeply with the state’s digital initiatives, technology projects and startup ecosystem.

The delegation from Goa included Dr. Milind Sakhardande, Shri Subrai Nadkarni, Shri Siddharth Borker, Shri Gaurabh Sawal and Shri D. S. Prashant, who represented the state’s vision for a more connected, technology-forward future. The pavilion welcomed strong international participation with delegates from the UK, Russia, Denmark, Canada and Sweden. A special highlight was the visit from Joel Stafford, Consulate General of Denmark in Bangalore, whose interactions reinforced global interest in Goa’s digital programmes, infrastructure strengths and evolving innovation landscape.

The stall also received attention from global industry leaders exploring Goa as a potential hub for expansion. Nicolas Wojnarowski of NineSigma praised Goa’s potential as an emerging base for major science and technology collaborations, noting the state’s appeal for future development. National industry bodies, academia and ecosystem enablers including TiE Bangalore, KLE, ELCIA and IDFC engaged with the Goa delegation and discussed opportunities for collaboration.

Among the notable interactions, Rama N. S. of ELCITA shared her positive impressions, highlighting Goa’s tangible progress toward developing an electronic city and expanding beyond its identity as a leisure destination. The pavilion also drew interest from various Indian states, with visitors keen to learn about Goa’s approach to digital connectivity, governance, industrial development and its growing identity as a technology-friendly, creative destination.

Young visitors showed particularly strong enthusiasm, reflecting the rising appeal of Goa’s tech and startup culture among emerging innovators. Goan startups including Spintly and Genora Infotech showcased their solutions and attracted considerable engagement. Spintly’s Co-founder Malcolm D’Souza emphasized the importance of such platforms in giving Goa’s technology ecosystem global visibility, while Genora Infotech CEO Milind Prabhu shared his excitement about representing the state with their platform VoxIntel.

As the summit concludes, the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications carries forward valuable connections that strengthen Goa’s identity as India’s Creative Capital and a rising hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-driven growth.

EduConnect

St. Xavier’s College Hosts Six-Day Faculty Development Programme on OER and AI in Teaching and Research

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

St. Xavier’s College, Mapusa organized a six-day Faculty Development Programme on “Open Educational Resources and Artificial Intelligence in Teaching and Research” from October 18–24, 2025. The programme was inaugurated by Prof. (Dr.) Gervasio S. F. L. Mendes, Additional Director, Directorate of Higher Education, Government of Goa, with Fr. Marianno Dias, Assistant to the Secretary, Diocesan Society of Education, as Guest of Honour. Also present were Dr. Osborne Terrence Dsouza, CEO and Co-Founder of Juana Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Officiating Principal Ms. Ursula Barreto, and Administrator Rev. Fr. Antonio Salema.

Prof. Mendes, in his keynote address, praised the college for conducting a timely programme, highlighting how artificial intelligence and open educational resources are reshaping higher education. The first two days of the FDP were led by Dr. Osborne D’Souza, who introduced participants to prompt engineering and demonstrated platforms including ChatGPT, Gamma.app, and Elicit.com for academic presentations and research. He also recommended Microsoft’s AI for Educators programme and emphasized the need for educators to upskill to adapt to emerging technologies.

On the third day, Dr. Gaurang Patkar, Professor and Head of Computer Engineering at Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda, conducted sessions on AI-powered leadership, neural networks, and tools such as Socrative, Plicker, and Canva AI. He encouraged faculty to use AI as a co-pilot to enhance creativity and demonstrated Python-based exercises in machine learning and deep learning.

Day four featured actor and voice artist Mr. Ashwin Mushran, who delivered an engaging session titled “Million Dollar Presence,” emphasizing effective communication, warmth, and capability in creating a strong educator presence.

The final two days were facilitated by Prof. Santhosh Kumar G of Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, and Prof. S. Senthilnathan, Director (In-charge), UGC-MMTTC, Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu. Prof. Santhosh focused on student-centered learning, demonstrating tools like Vids, QuestionWell, Notebook LM, and AI Studio, along with hands-on activities for lesson planning and quizzes. Prof. Senthilnathan introduced faculty to OER platforms including LOC, NDLI, SWAYAM, MIT OCW, MOOCs, Virtual Labs, Khan Academy, podcasts, and blogs.

The valedictory session was graced by Joshua D’Souza, Deputy Speaker and alumnus, who praised the FDP as a game-changer for educators. The programme received positive feedback from both internal and external participants, reflecting the college’s commitment to equipping faculty with modern pedagogical tools to enhance teaching, learning, and research.

TechPulse

Goa Showcases Its Vision as India’s Creative Capital at Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The 28th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit opened at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, bringing together innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and technology leaders for three days of discussions, showcases, and collaborations. Among the participants, the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Government of Goa, has set up a dedicated state pavilion in Hall 3, Stall HS5a, themed “Goa – India’s Creative Capital.”

The pavilion also features the Startup & IT Promotion Cell (SITPC), highlighting the state’s growing presence in digital innovation, manufacturing, design, and entrepreneurship. The exhibit demonstrates Goa’s distinct tech landscape, supported by strong digital connectivity, evolving industrial and IT infrastructure, flexible governance, and a work–life environment attractive to talent and enterprises. The pavilion presents major initiatives such as the Goa AI Mission 2027, the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster in Tuem, the upgraded Goa Broadband Network integrated with BharatNet, and other upcoming projects. Through the SITPC, the state implements the Startup Policy 2025, currently supporting 716 startups with targeted schemes for idea development, scaling, and access to opportunities.

A key highlight is the participation of two startups from Goa showcasing their products at the summit. Spintly demonstrates its IoT-based smart access solutions powered by BLE-Mesh technology, offering wireless, secure, and scalable systems for modern buildings. Genora presents VoxIntel, a data-driven political campaign intelligence platform designed for enhanced outreach and analysis.

The Bengaluru Tech Summit provides Goa a platform not only to exhibit but also to establish partnerships, attract investment, gain visibility, and collaborate with global technology companies. Startups also benefit from direct engagement with industry players and potential clients.

As the summit continues until November 20, the Goa Pavilion invites visitors, investors, and technology leaders to explore opportunities and interact with its startups.