Tag: BridgeAura25

EduConnect

Despite 90% Placements, Goa’s Graduates Are Choosing Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment

Tanisha Cardozo

While Goa’s engineering and diploma colleges boast an impressive 90%+ placement rate, a more meaningful transformation is happening beneath the surface. A new generation of graduates is stepping beyond the boundaries of traditional employment — choosing entrepreneurship, self-employment, and reskilling as their path forward.

This isn’t about rejecting jobs — it’s about redefining success. With over 500 students placed in on- and off-campus drives, Goa’s talent is clearly industry-ready. But over 300 others are intentionally opting for higher education, entrepreneurial ventures, or skill-building initiatives. This points to a growing mindset shift: one where skills, not just degrees, are viewed as the currency of the future.

This transformation didn’t happen overnight.

At the heart of this change is the Startup and IT Promotion Cell and the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, led by Hon’ble Minister Shri Rohan A. Khaunte. Their strategic focus has been to reimagine education not just as a route to employment, but as a platform for lifelong learning and innovation.

Under this vision, Goa is building a holistic skilling ecosystem that evolves in real time with industry trends. Through initiatives like:

  • BridgeAura ’25: a forward-looking industry-academia partnership program
  • Goa AI Mission: introducing AI-driven learning and problem-solving in institutions
  • Startup Yatra Bootcamp and Masterclasses: that give students direct exposure to entrepreneurial tools
  • Hackathons and real-world project challenges

Goa is not just producing graduates — it’s nurturing founders, builders, and future leaders.

Institutions across the state are playing their part. From TORQUE 2025 at Goa College of Engineering (GEC), led by the Mechanical Engineering Students’ Association (MESA), to IDEAS 3.0 at Padre Conceicao College of Engineering (PCCE), students are being given platforms to innovate, present ideas, collaborate in teams, and build solutions to real problems.

These events are more than academic exercises — they are incubators for startup culture and entrepreneurial confidence.

Goa is now emerging as a model for how a state can equip its youth not just for the jobs of today, but to create the opportunities of tomorrow.

This generation of students isn’t just getting hired — they’re getting ready to hire others.

TechPulse

BridgeAura ’25 Launched to Shape Goa’s Future-Ready Engineering Workforce

Tanisha Cardozo

Panaji, July 18 2025: In a major push to strengthen Goa’s talent pool in emerging technologies, Fluxatic Global today launched BridgeAura ’25 — The Industry-Academia Tech Training Internship & Summit. The initiative, supported by the Startup and IT Promotion Cell under the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, aims to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world industry exposure for engineering students across the state.

The launch marks the return of one of Goa’s most impactful skilling initiatives, previously known as TechStatic, which has trained over 700 students since 2022. Now relaunched, BridgeAura ’25 is engaging over 250 students from five major engineering colleges in a two-month intensive program featuring 40 expert-led sessions across multiple domains, live projects, and hands-on mentorship.

“Equality in education must go hand-in-hand with opportunity in innovation,” said Shri. Rohan A. Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Government of Goa. “More than the background, it’s the thought and innovation of the student that matters. BridgeAura provides a platform that bridges the gap between learning and doing — helping students convert ideas into real-world outcomes. Our goal is to shift the focus from job seekers to job creators by ensuring that Goa’s youth are skilled, reskilled, and upskilled in emerging technologies.”

At the launch, Khaunte also emphasized that through Startup and IT Policies, and initiatives like the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster in Tuem, the Government is creating additional verticals — especially for graduates in electronics and related fields, enabling them to find opportunities here in Goa and contribute to the state’s innovation ecosystem.

The inaugural session featured insights from Mr. Prajyot Mainkar, Founder & CEO of SoFueled, and Mr. Milind Anvekar, Senior Vice President at Open Destinations, both of whom emphasized the importance of future-ready skills and the growing role of collaborative innovation in shaping Goa’s tech ecosystem.

BridgeAura ’25 brings together a diverse group of mentors and experts from across industries, including Shawn Kenneth Fernandes, Founder of Fluxatic Global; Ravi Kambhoj, Creative Producer at TEDxPanaji and Festivalists; Clyde Tellis, Director at Top Goa Tours; Joseph Ribeiro, Managing Partner at Bits & Bytes; and Amey Arsekar, Co-Founder of Droolmonkey. The mentor cohort also includes Pallavi Nath, Intuitive Coach and Emotional Awareness Expert; Ruben Fernandes, Principal at COMPandSTRAT; Ankita Nagvekar Bhaip, Co-Founder of DGtive; and Shashank Shetye Saudagar, Founder of Grow With Cybertrom, each contributing domain expertise and lived experience to guide student journeys.

Mr. Shawn Fernandes, Founder of Fluxatic Global, added,“BridgeAura ‘25 is more than a training program — it’s a launchpad for Goa’s next generation of innovators and creators. With over 250 students participating from five major engineering colleges, it’s already the largest initiative of its kind in the state. This is just the beginning, we are committed to reshaping how Goa’s tech talent is trained, mentored, and deployed into the workforce.”

The initiative aligns with the broader vision of the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C) to develop a future-ready talent pool through real-world skilling, innovation, and startup enablement. With the investments in forward-looking policies and infrastructure, Goa is steadily positioning itself as a rising hub for tech innovation and entrepreneurship.